“How rude! That kid wouldn’t work for me. Not for long, that is.”

“It’s not his fault, George. He’s not the one in charge. Calm down.”

“But they lost our bags and now I’ve missed the game.”

“So, you think he should lose his job? Why not can his boss? Would you stand still while your boss yelled at you that way? Who made the rules? I feel for the guy. You had a boss like that once, and what did you do? You walked out. Let’s just take a seat, like he said. I need to get off my feet.”

George stood where he could watch as new bags dropped. Round and round. Black bags, brown bags, large bags, small bags. Bags from Miami, but not their bags. Most of them grabbed on the first pass.

Wanda kept her eyes on George. When the red from his neck reached his face, he would need two of his pills. They were for his Type A, but George told folks they were for his heart.

She watched as he pulled his phone from his belt. “Who could that be? The kids should be at work by now.”

“Dad, you left your bags by the front door. How could you do that? Didn’t you think about them when you checked in? What do you want me to do?”

“Ship them. I’ll send you the cash.”

Wanda rose from her seat to join George as he walked back to the young man.

“Found our bags. By the way, I had a boss like that once. It’s tough.”

Without explanation, George grabbed the back of Wanda’s arm, and directed her toward the exit.

“But our bags?”

“Let’s go.”

There was no rattle in his pocket.

“Wanda, where are my car keys?”

“In one of the bags.”

 

Know anyone like George? He (or she) wants everyone to think they have life all sewn up. I’ve changed his name to protect the guilty, but George gets loud and seems to think he (or she) has the right, if not the responsibility to point out mistakes and call out the one who erred.

Ever been absolutely sure you were right, only to discover, like George did, that the problem you’re in the middle of was created by you, and no one else? No public confessions required. We’ve all been guilty. Even George. But don’t expect an admission of imperfection or hold your breath for an apology. It won’t happen.
The most we get from the “Georges of the world” is an attempt to gloss over his (her) own flaws or errors in judgment with a joke or belated kindness. When the Georges I know sense they have hit too hard or aimed their harsh words in the wrong direction, they seldom back down quietly. It’s more likely their “victim” will be the one to apologize.

I could go on with my description of George, but is it really necessary? If you haven’t identified a “George” by now, God has blessed you in a special way.

You might be saying, “So, we can’t change George, so why waste time thinking about him (or her). What can we do when we encounter a George?”

Well, every George is different, but here’s where to start:

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

It’s my memory verse of the week, and something I’m working on.