I have determined that I am definitely getting older. Other than the fact I am getting more like my dad every day in many ways, I find myself complaining/ griping about some things that really shouldn’t matter.

For instance, just last week I was grocery shopping at a place where there are very few, if any, clerks to check out my groceries. I proceeded to the selfcheckout, scanned all the merchandise, complained about the total and headed to the door. Before I got to the door I was stopped by a quaint gentlemen and asked to show my receipt. To his amazement, I did not stop, told him I would not show my receipt, and he could trust me to check myself out or hire some clerks. Yep, came out of my mouth before I could stop it. Now understand, checking out groceries is no big deal to me as I have a 10+ year background working in the grocery store. It was just the principle of the thing…you won’t hire clerks to check out customers, but you will hire a clerk to question my integrity of doing a job for which no training has been given?

Another peeve of mine that has brought out much dialogue with myself and fellow car passengers is turn signals. I question why we put them on automobiles. Leaving the church the other day I was at the corner waiting for traffic to clear to get out onto the highway and one car was approaching. Should I go for it or wait? I thought to err on the side of safety and wait only to have the approaching vehicle signal 10 feet before the corner (most do not signal at all)!

One other thing is bathrooms. We live in a very technological age. Why can’t we get the QT’s, Loves’ and Caseys’ to all get on the same page in all their stores to get their bathrooms synched? Is the toilet self-flush or hit the handle. Are the soap dispensers automatic or push the bottom? Do the paper towels dispense when you wave your hand under or in front of? Or, do you just pull the towel that is already out? Sometimes the dispensers are the old fashioned ones where you have to push a lever, pull down on the lever, or turn a dial.

Coming back from Virginia, I stopped to gas up the truck and run inside. I was going to wash my hands but could not get the soap to come out of the dispenser. I waved under it, over it and in front of it to no avail. Another guy comes up and pushed the bottom, and soap come out the dispenser. As he is doing it, he looks over and grins. Well, I sure felt silly.

Okay, you see what I mean as to my temperamental nature coming out. These are just a few of the things that seem to bother me now-adays. And, it seems to be getting worse.

All of this made me wonder how God feels. He has been around a lot longer than I have. He’s seen and experienced so much more than I have. I wonder what ticks God off (that is to say if He gets ticked off).

I wonder if it bothers God my buying a $10 coffee or specialty drink every day for the morning rush but having nothing to give for the mission offering at church.

Or what about singing the praise songs about how much we love Jesus with our hands raised in church on Sunday morning, only to get in our car and turn the radio on to listen to music that is anything but glorifying to God?

We can talk about football, basketball, baseball (or any sport for that matter); maybe tell about the latest development with our grandkids or kids, give the details of the vacation we just got back from or the latest purchase we made, but can’t tell how great Sunday Worship was, what God is doing in our lives or just share the Gospel.

Finally, we talk about how tired we are from working all week, all we need is just a day to catch our breath, and we just can’t make it to church. But, we go to the lake to swim, boat, ski or fish. Or maybe we chase our kids all over the state to watch them play ball or participate in a tournament that finishes up on Sunday.

This made me think how petty my complaints are. They pretty much just affect me (and maybe those around me) and are here for the moment, then gone. However, those things that affect God…well, how does that affect eternity?

Solomon wrote about some the things God hates, Proverbs 6:16-19, look them up. And next time you get ticked off, think about God. Are you doing something He disapproves of? How does He feel?

Trying to Figure out the Towel Dispenser Bro. Tim