Doug Van Pelt

I Don't Wanna Be Grumpy

I didn't shower yesterday. It was my first workday inside my house since 1999 (when we first moved into an outside office), and I was still wearing the "Don't Mess With Texas" t-shirt that I wore the previous day to the Texas Longhorns' National Championship celebration at Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium (yeah, Horns!). I didn't look too good. My hair was pointing in several directions and my scent was certainly not the most pleasant. I knew this, because the night before when I was walking with my daughters into the stadium to celebrate the perfect season by the Longhorns I was leaning over my 9-year old daughter's head in a sign of affection. She looked up and informed me that my underarms smelled bad -- and this was after freshening up and donning plenty of deodorant! But I knew I wouldn't be out and about too much, so I let that slide.

Later on during the day I felt like I had a unique application of God's Word, like it was a "Word for me." I don't claim revelation knowledge or a "rhema" Word, but it fits for me. In the sermon on the mount Jesus instructed us, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting... But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious tomen that you are fasting, but only to your Father Who is unseen..."

I feel like the perfect application for me is: "When you're on deadline, don't be grumpy. Don't make it obvious to others that you are working hard, late, and fast. Be cheerful." I'm especially aware of how grumpy I am to my own family members. I don't want to be that way. I want to be smiling, quick to laugh, and willing to listen to a random story or off-the-subject anecdote that someone wants to share with me. This is almost a daunting task, but I know it's possible. That's my prayer for me for the rest of this deadline and those deadlines to come.