Behind the facade, mirage and show played out in real life, lies imperfections tainted by sin. In the emergency room on Monday night, I was confronted by images of reality television. In fact, I haven’t scene this much diversity since I went to traffic court in Ohio following a head on collision in college. To my surprise, 3 Amish teenagers were arrested for driving their buggy’s while intoxicated after crashing into a neighbors yard. All you have to do is spend 1 day in the court and emergency rooms to see faults that were once hidden now out in the open for all to see.
I guess you can say I am not the most patient person in the world as demonstrated by my lead foot driving. However, my patience was put to the test last night as I felt like a cast member on the Jerry Springer show. I was surrounded by a woman involved in a domestic violence dispute and a boy who crashed his brother’s car driving without a license or insurance. Between complaining, distress and periodical groans, I felt like saying, “shut up and suck it up!” Common sense kept me from speaking my mind, but my heart was convicted by my inability to handle this trial with maturity.
Instead of using my accident to be a loving example of Christ, I turned into Oscar the Grouch. Perhaps, I should have ate a Snickers Bar. When push comes to shove, character rises to the surface and for me, I still have a long way to go. This crisis opened a fresh can of worms, exposing my hidden faults of impatience and selfishness. In the future, I must live out Psalm 19:13, so that I will flee from willful sins that can separate you from God. May the promise of James 5:16 set me free from my once hidden faults.
by Jay Mankus
