We have to wonder at times from where
some of our attitudes, habits, and perspectives come. At least I do. By the
time I began my ministry in Saskatoon, I had a very low tolerance for lateness.
I don’t remember that being an issue is my home, while I was in high school or
college, but it was huge in me by the time I got to Saskatoon. When I said I
was going to leave, I wanted to leave at that time. The problem for others was
that I did leave when I said. I taught my group to be on time. Whether that was
the right approach or not is debatable. Maybe they had a good reason for being
late. If they did, I never knew about it.
I do remember being annoyed in
high school when a buddy who was going to pick me up was late. But he had the
car and I had nothing so I did a slow burn and accepted it.
I don’t recall the issue during my
time in Vancouver or Long Beach. However, I didn’t have to wait for them as we
never all pilled into the same vehicle(s) to go anywhere. But I did many a slow
burn as a teacher. I could barely tolerate the students who regularly walked in
late to class. Initially I always started the class after stalling for about
five minutes while waiting that normal for the stragglers to grace us with
their presence.
I had heard a number of stories as
to how Dr. Cramer handled the latecomers with sarcasm. When he did so, he
seemed to always get a positive response and laugher. I thought I could do that
so tried it once and only once. No one laughed. That was stupid. The problem
was so pervasive I realized I was going to develop an ulcer if I didn’t let go
of the insane tension I was creating by holding on to that desire. It wasn’t
life or death. It may have been rude or inconsiderate (it was) but making it so important was only hurting me.
One year the Portrait Players
tried to teach me a lesson on the subject during a stop in Hamilton, Ontario.
Yes, I was hard on them also. When I wanted to leave I just wanted to leave. In
Hamilton, Ontario Con Hild and I were staying at the same home for the evening.
We knew we were having trouble with a tire on the van so left our home early to
get the tire checked or get a new one, whichever. We got held up having the
tired checked and by the time we were ready to leave, we were an hour late. I
had tried calling the church, but no one answered the phone. So we were late —
very late. No one had ever been that late.
When we arrived at the church, we
found everyone’s luggage just inside the front door with a note saying they had
left without us because we were so late. Would we please bring their luggage?
Of course the idea was absurd as we had the van and how would they get a ride
for eight people to go anywhere. But the thought was good. They did make one
big mistake. The girls also left their purses. It was very doubtful they would
go on without those.
We looked around for a bit but
could not find them in the building. They had to be hiding outside. Con and I
decided we would load the luggage in the trailer then tried to take off as fast
as we could. We were just about out of the driveway when they came running out
from some trees waving their hand and screaming for us to stop. Of course we
picked them up and Con and I tried to explain the situation but got no sympathy
at all. They certainly drove home the point that there were extenuating
circumstances at times. I never left anyone on tour. I knew they were all at
the mercy of their hosts, and not all were not prompt.
I solved my emotional problem in
the classroom, by giving the class all the assignment and exam information for
future classes in the first five minutes of the class. It didn’t solve the
problem, but it did calm me down and released my tension.
In the end, God gave me a family
that I could not regularly urge to be on time. No my wife, she was terrific,
but two children, neither of which was ever in a hurry. God has a way of
correcting out bad habits if we listen.
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