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 As
the little boy reached for the hot rolls his arm brushed a tall—
stemmed, top—heavy water glass, and over it went. A spreading
flood raced through the perfect table setting, so prim and
precise, and mother “lost her cool.” She scolded the boy for
his carelessness, tossed in a few pointed remards about his lack
of manners, and gave his hand a sharp rap when he began to cry.
This would have to happen when she had worked so hard to
impress a visiting preacher.
And
then, just as embarrassed guests were beginning to mince at
their food and pick up their previous conversation — just as
mother’s blood pressure began to level off — the preacher
reached for the hot rolls, and over went his water glass. And
people think preachers have it easy!
Now
— what does one do, or say?? This may be another case like
bro. Tant’s mouth-full of too-hot coffee. Anything one
does after that — is wrong. You can’t get there from
here!
Maybe
the preacher, the mother and the boy should retire to the
kitchen and have a good cry. It would certainly “come natural”
and the setting is just right for some very close “fellowship”.
In fact, ,with a little prodding the rest of the guests may
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acknowledge like circumstances in their
lives, and the great Brotherhood of Boo-Boo Makers is
established.
Perhaps
I like “nice” things as well as the next one, and we need to
cultivate the grace and manners that make this crude world
bearable; but there seems to be a certain artificiality in a “too-perfect”
situation. There are times when everything is so polished I
almost wish someone (not me) would drop the gravy bowl.
Sympathy
is a fine thing — to feel for another; but many people do not
want our pity. We really begin to get response when we feel with
others — when sympathy becomes empathy, and pity
becomes genuine compassion. I do not say one should sin in order
to understand and appreciate the plight of others in sin; it
will be enough to take an honest look at yourself — even when
you are trying to do right.
We
are a bunch of “sad-sacks” that need one another’s
understanding and encouragement if we are to fulfill our
purpose. Next time someone blunders into a man-hole, remember,
“But for the grace of God, there go I.
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