ACE #374: Sometimes It Ain't Worth It

The other morning, I was in line at McDonald's and this middle-aged man jumped in front of me and proceeded to place his order. The cashier stared at me with this look of "What do you want me to do?"  I just shook my head with a "Just go ahead. Nevermind." Did I have a right to say something? Yes. Did I have a right to be served first? Yes.  Should I have said something? Not necessarily.

One of the most quoted lines in The Color Purple was when Sophia, played by Oprah Winfrey, told Celie, played by Whoopi Goldberg, "Don't trade places with what I've been through."

All Sophia was saying was that sometimes, some things, and some people just ain't worth it.  The amount of energy it would take and the trouble that might follow after tangling with the situation or the person is just not worth your time.  I have told my students over the years, "Every battle is not yours to fight."  You get to choose how you begin your day most of the time.  Starting off my morning by arguing in McDonald's was just not going to happen...that day. I made a choice.  I chose to let the Jesus in me overrule my flesh and my desire to "set him straight".

So, today, just walk away from some situations.  Refuse to engage in the battle. You do have a choice.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.