The Morning I Barked Back

The following is a personal article, which I had originally meant to keep in my personal log.  It exposes a moment of the flesh that I am not proud of.  Yet, I believe that there may be someone else who may be helped or encouraged from the lesson in life for me.  So here it is…

Yesterday had been a long day.  Getting up at 5:00am, after only a couple of hours sleep, and driving 460 miles to Winston-Salem, NC, made it a long day.  The day had begun after a virtually sleepless night, because my wife’s health condition had made her unable to sleep that night.  After arriving in North Carolina, I was looking forward getting a good night’s rest in the bed at the La Quinta.

As I entered the room for the night, the tranquility was shattered by the barking of a rather large dog.  That’s when, much to my chagrin, I realized that adjacent room was occupied by a couple and their dog.  I was not elated by the present circumstance, but determined to go ahead and relax and prepare for a full eight hours of blissful rest.  The clock soon found me collapsing into the king bed and cradling my head into the very soft pillow, as I anticipated a restful slumber.

BARK, BARK!  What was that?  Yes, it was 11:30pm, and I had been abruptly awakened by the barking of the dog in the next room. I pulled the pillow over my ears and drifted back into sleep.  Yet, sleep was soon to become evasive.  The dog heralded the arrival of 2:00am, 3:00am and 5:00am.  By this time my congenial spirit had exited the building.  I jerked the covers off my resting body, slipped on my clothing, and made my way to the door!  I was going to put a stop to this canine madness!  I opened my door, and there stood the occupant of the next room, at his door.  He immediately began to try and apologize.  I say “try,” because I interrupted him.  I was determined to let him know what I thought about his uncontrolled dog, and his insensitivity toward fellow guests.  Although my words were controlled, I still told him that his dog needed to be in a doghouse, and closed my door.

There!  That’s done!  Now, with determined resolved, I crawled back into the bed for the purpose of trying to achieve some sleep.  It was now 5:35am.  Yet, I could not sleep.  The Holy Spirit had something to say.  I pulled the pillows back over my head, but that did not silence the convicting words of the Spirit of God.  I asked the Lord to forgive me for my temperamental outburst on a fellow human being.  Yet, my spirit would not rest.  I got up, showered, dressed, and went to the lobby to have breakfast.  As I entered the breakfast area, there he sat.  An older gentleman with a furrowed brow, that was the telling sign of a heavy load on his heart.  Without speaking, I walked to his table, pulled out a chair and sat down across from him.  He looked at me, appearing to expect more rebuke.  I looked him in the eye and said, “I’m sorry, I was wrong in the way I acted and spoke to you earlier.”  He again attempted to apologize, and again I interrupted him.  I said, “It was not your fault, it was me.  I allowed myself to get irritated because my sleep had been interrupted.  I was wrong.”  He extended his hand, and we shook hands.  I asked his forgiveness, and he immediately granted it.  He told me his name was Bill.  I introduced myself.  Then, he told me his story.

Bill told me that he and his wife were staying at the hotel, because they were not from the Winston-Salem area.  He went on to say they were having to stay here for a while, because their daughter was in serious condition in a local hospital.  He and his wife were of heavy hearts, and I had added to their load by my response to a mere inconvenience.  I apologized for adding to their load.  I realized that, in a way, my earlier “barking” had added to his burden.  We spoke for a few more minutes, then Bill left to go back to his room, retrieve his wife, and go be by the bedside of their daughter.  I told him that his daughter would be in my prayers.  He was grateful.

As I went back to my room, I again sought the Lord’s forgiveness, and it was granted.  I had gone and reconciled with the one I had offended.  Yet, a lesson was to be learned.  It is a lesson that I have already learned, but seem to forget too easily.  That is the lesson that says, “We should always seek to be kind to others, no matter had adverse the circumstance, because we never know what load they may be carrying themselves.”  It is my prayer and desire to be helper in carrying the load of the hurting, and not to add to their load anymore.