I sat at coffee with a little friend and a stack of books, five high, kept bumping against my elbow. “So here’s the thing,” said I, “this verse tells you exactly how to respond to your irritating brother, who never listens. You see?” Her little, mousy-blond head bobbed the affirmative, but her happy eyes suddenly looked very large and startled as they looked past my head. An older, unknown man had just placed his hand on the back of my chair at our table in the coffee shop.
I promptly turned to meet his wrinkled, tan visage, but he was play-acting looking through my pile of books. “What’s this here? A Bible? What are you doing with these books and journals and religious stuff?” He scooted out the chair next to me and before he sat down, I set the books conveniently in the seat as I said, “Well, sir, we are having a devotional before we plan our work for the day.”
“That so? I used to…” he drawled on impossibly long about books. Then I told him about my Book and the One Who wrote it. He seemed interested…but then he wasn’t. He suddenly flirtatiously remarked, “What’s your name, sweetheart?” his squinted eyes scanning me up and down, his chin rising a little.
My instincts kicked in. He wasn’t a friendly old man. So, I replied as pleasantly as I could under those conditions… “Velveeta.” And then, “We have so much to do today! We were actually just leaving. Have a great day!” And I gathered the books into my bag and started to stand up.
Then, suddenly, I knew without doubt, that he was indeed weird. He grabbed my hand and kissed it rapturously exclaiming, “Such a lovely name for such a lovely girl!” I think I made choking sounds while my eyebrows did acrobatics. My little friend seemed to be trying not to die from restrained laughter. Or was it horror shaking her tiny frame? The barista dropped a spoon, or nitrogen cartridge, or something metallic onto the floor tiles. It also seemed that something must have been pretty funny on the screen of the laptop of the college boy nearby. With haste we made our way out into the parking lot and got into our vehicle. I locked the doors. And when I checked, Mr. Velveeta was talking to a new lady—in the parking lot.
Sometimes, anyone can be Mr. Velveeta. I’m sorry if that’s insulting, but truth be told, it is highly likely. Our own empty thoughts flare up, even when truth is being put before our own two eyes. It seems like suddenly all one sees is what they think they want, instead of what they need to know. If Mr. Velveeta had listened to the words I spoke, he might be so incredibly free, encouraged, and made new. Instead, he reverted.
We all revert. We kick back into “the old man mode.” Our “old man mode” is who we were before we knew better, or matured. We forget who we are or who we can be, and become someone we don’t have to be. Mr. Velveeta chose unconsciously to be a creepy, perverted old man, but we might be more likely to accidentally choose things like shallow beliefs, judgmental states of mind, depressed thinking patterns, swearing, or hurtful sarcasm. (Or, maybe you’re like him. That’s possible. Get off my blog, creeper.)
While flirtatious old men can be humorous, it is not funny to be “stuck” being who you used to be or don’t want to be. How do you change? You let go of the things that bother you. Don’t get upset at me. You know it’s true. If you have to argue that you’ve “let go” of something you’re frequently bothered about…You haven’t actually released your hurt. Things that keep knocking around inside of you, want out. Once they are out, you are full of peace, and that quietness will glow out of you naturally.
What about a bad habit? Buckle your seat belt. You need help from someone outside of yourself and its going to be a rough ride to the finish line. But tell you what; there is a finish line for destructive bad habits.
Send your Mr. Velveeta packing. He’s definitely not who you ever wanted to be.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:5-15)
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