OOPS

I was reading our minister’s June 9th blog (http://larry-fromthepastorsdesk.blogspot.com) and he mentioned reading comic strips and later mentioned people working in a funeral home.  As you know, my mind is a bit unusual.

I wondered what happens when an undertaker remembers the morning comic strip.  Picture it...standing beside the family, trying to be very serious, your mind wonders, and you chuckle at the image of the Coyote putting the Acme dynamite in the path of the Roadrunner.  OOPS! 

Oh those “oops” moments!  OOPS!

The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, now that I am old?’  Is anything too hard for the LORD?  I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

OOPS!  How quickly words pop out of our mouths.  How we wish we could shove them back in.

Zechariah was the man of the hour.  It was his turn to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  Many were assembled and were praying outside, when an angel of the Lord appeared.  Zechariah was startled and gripped with fear.  I can picture his eyes wide open and waiting to hear what the angel had to say.  The angel spoke:

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, …….

Zechariah asked the angel, How can I be sure of this?......

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.  …..And now you will be silent….”

OOPS!  How quickly we question.  How we wish we could always trust our faith.

There is no narrative leading up to the mother of Zebedee’s sons approaching Jesus, but, if there was, it might go like this:

“Mother please do not go talk with Jesus,” James said.  “Besides the other disciples will get really upset.”

John agreed, “Mother I know you mean well and you only want what is best for us, but James is right.  This will not go as you would like.”

“What do my boys know?” she thought.  “I am sure Jesus will grant my request.”

Off they went.  I picture the mother of Zebedee’s sons walking a few steps ahead and looking back at her boys to hurry them along.  I picture her approaching Jesus, kneeling down, speaking, and then hearing:

“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them.

OOPS!  How quickly we wish we had given a second thought to our actions. How we wish we could have a do-over.

OOPS!

How quickly words pop out of our mouths.

How we wish we could shove them back in.

How quickly we question.

How we wish we could always trust our faith.

How quickly we wish we had given a second thought to our actions.

How we wish we could have a do-over.

Personally, I have a problem with all of these.  I say “oops” on a regular basis.  Words pop out which I definitely wish no one had ever heard.  I question instead of trusting my faith. More times than I can count, I wish I had given more thought to my actions.

OOPS!  A word I wish I did not use so often.