Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Tale of the Deviled Eggs


I detest deviled eggs. I've never liked deviled eggs, and I don't think I will ever like deviled eggs. To me, they are a repulsive fare that I don't ever care to even try (no offense to all of you who make deviled eggs...I'm sure they are delicious to the many people who seem to love them). BUT, it was because of some deviled eggs that I learned a valuable lesson.

One day when I was small, I was going to ride to church with my Grandma Lillian and Grandpa Dallas Jacobs. I guess we were having some sort of pot luck at church that night, because Grandma had made some...you guessed it...deviled eggs, and had set them in the floorboard of the back seat of her car. Before I got in the car, she kindly reminded to be careful not to smash the eggs in the floorboard. However, I, being very young (yeah, we'll blame it on that), stepped on the eggs anyway. They must have been covered with plastic wrap or something, because the eggs were pretty much ruined.

You can imagine the frustration that Grandma must have felt with me. But do you know what she did? She didn't yell. She didn't fuss. She didn't show any anger. She got out of the car, took the container of eggs and threw the whole thing up in the air while letting out a gleeful, "Wheeeeeeee!"

True story.

That's what I call making the best out of a "bad" situation. I need to remember that when I'm on the verge of losing my temper because Jacob won't stay in his room. I need to remember that on days when twice I open the refrigerator and an open glass of unfinished milk falls out onto the floor. I need to remember that when bedtime rolls around and I am tired, yet my kids seem to have gotten a fresh round of energy and run around like wild animals (literally--they pretend to be tigers) and I can't seem to get them settled down. I need to remember that when I am simply at my wit's end!

In short, I learned from that story, that yes, some things are worth getting angry over, but some of those things can be just as easily tossed aside...or up in the air!

Proverbs 19:11
A man's discretion makes him slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

5 comments :

Katie Lou said...

Amy,this is so Grandma. I have so many wonerful memories of her doing things like that! Loved this post of yours!

mom said...

Amy, this has really refreshed my memory of that incident! If all of you grandchildren got together and told of all the playful things that she has done it would take all night and then some! She's a very playful lady!! I have a few memories of my own as a daughter-in-law!! Great story, and it is definitely a true one,and a great lesson to learn from it.

Holly Lindsey said...

awww....Amy i love that story. A good example to learn from and a great scripture!!

Lacey said...

Gosh - I love this story. I especially love this story today! It made me laugh...and because I must be teetering on some crazy edge ... it basically made me cry too. What in the world? Seriously - I love the idea. And I know about spilled glasses of milk from the fridge. SO unbelievably frustrating. (Like cream cheese hands touching every kitchen chair.) And kids who act like animals - our kids choose dogs. and what about kids who draw on their foreheads with red markers while you are typing this response?

Anonymous said...

Amy, what great memories we all have of a very special and inspirational lady!! If we all could have a little "Grandma Lillian" in us the world would be a much better place!!
Aunt Wina