grumpy

A New Fruit of the Spirit

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image generated via AI.

I have been open and honest about being grumpy and having a temper. Especially lately, when I wrote the blog post: “Meany Flowers.” I don’t like myself when I act out! When it happens, I probably should be told to go sit in the corner and think about my behavior. My mother was always “hands-on” if you know what I mean. As in, her hand on my bottom, so I don’t know if time-outs really work or not.

I know I am thankful that God is slow to wrath, or else I’m sure I would have been smitten down by now! (Exo. 34:6-7a) With all of that said, I try my best to work on how I react to people, especially April. I know some may categorize my suggestion for a new fruit of the Spirit under the “Self-Control” fruit. But somehow, what I am going to mention is different.

I don’t want to be like one of those annoying ads on Facebook that keep talking “around” something and never really get right to it. For instance, “Doing this every night before going to bed will help you lose 25 pounds in two weeks!” So, without further ado, I propose the new fruit of the Spirit, “Silence.”

With God’s help, I am learning to remain silent when I get upset. And if I think it will help, I will walk away as well. It’s difficult for me because I believe in communication. As in, they should know I don’t agree or I don’t like their behavior. Instead, it seems to be more powerful to look at them and say nothing. And if I walk away, then as soon as I can, go to God in prayer. For me as well as for them. Who knows? There could be some underlying reason why they said or did what they did.

In no way am I trying to admen the scriptures, but in the MBV (Mark Brady Version), I may have to include “Silence” as one of the fruits of the Spirit. I’ll put it in Gutlations 5:22-23 because it just feels right in my gut to respond that way. Thank you, God, for always being there to help me become more like Jesus, and for not taking me out as soon as I act out.

6 The Lord passed in front of Moses and said, “I am the Lord. The Lord is a God who shows mercy and is kind. The Lord doesn’t become angry quickly. The Lord has great love and faithfulness. 7 The Lord is kind to thousands of people. The Lord forgives people for wrong and sin and turning against him. Exo. 34:6-7a (ICB)

Post Note: I wrote this blog post in a quiet corner of a restaurant. At least it was until a young woman who looked to have several issues sat near me and proceeded to watch some video on her phone without using headphones. I was trying to write another blog post, but the noise was distracting. I looked over at her twice, but she acted as if she had no idea why I wasn’t happy with her behavior. I kind of laughed to myself as I thought, “Way to go, God. Make me practice what I write.” I packed up my stuff and walked away, and didn’t say anything.

I honestly feel as if I had said something, she would have vented her anger on me, and that would have made me feel worse! Perhaps her acting out was a way of saying, “Please talk to me.” I’m not sure, but in the moment, it was all I could do to operate in the fruit of the Spirit, “Silence.” I may have been able to help her, maybe not, but one thing I do know is I didn’t hurt her.

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Me? Grumpy?

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Photo by: George Desipris

I recently hit a milestone in age. Stop singing. I’m not happy about it. In fact, I was glad April didn’t feel up to celebrating it due to recovering from surgery two days earlier. (Her recovery is going well.) I’ll confess, I scheduled her surgery knowing she wouldn’t feel up to it. Okay, I’ll tell ya, I turned 60.

Combining my age with my current attitude toward others and their behavior, one could call me Walter. As in “Walter Matthau.” As in, from the movie “Grumpy Old Men.” Especially when it comes to how people drive these days. It seems as if I can’t even go two blocks from my house, and I’m disgruntled. If you are the lead dog at the intersection, please pay attention to the light. When it turns green, GO!

Two days ago, at 4:56 AM: I was heading home after dropping April off at work, and I almost slammed into the back of an older pickup truck. It was parked in the driving lane of an exit ramp with no lights on. The area of that highway is under construction, and the new highway lights aren’t on yet. And there was room for the broken down driver to have pulled in between construction barrels. My grumpiness isn’t just with drivers. It seems to be with anyone exhibiting behavior I don’t like.

April diagnosed the problem accurately. She said I get upset when others don’t treat me the way I treat them. You see, I grew up having learned the “Golden Rule.” You know, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Based on; Luke 6:31) The problem is, they do unto me things I wouldn’t do unto them. It seems these days as if they don’t care about others, only themselves. And they know when they have done wrong, but they will make it seem as if you are the one who committed a crime.

I know my grumpiness isn’t of God. I should love like He is to us. I need to show everyone “love,” and here is why. These are some of the qualities of genuine love:

  • Love is patient – True love can tolerate pain or suffering without complaining or getting angry.
  • Love is humble – True love is not proud and boastful. It is humble enough to admit its own mistakes and strive to correct them. It also forgives to get rid of hatred and enjoy peacefulness.
  • Love is respectful.
  • Love is calm – True love always maintains the mind’s clarity and the heart’s softness. Its heart is deep, and its mind is not narrow.
  • Love is persistent – True love doesn’t easily give up. True love transforms you into a whole new and better person.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18-19 (NIV)

 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.” – Luke 6:27-33 (NIV)

“Dear God, please help me, love, as you love us. I certainly don’t want to be known as a ‘grumpy old man’ but as a ‘man of God’. A man of love.”

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Grumpy Old Man?

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

I believe I have expressed how much I dislike “injustice” before, but it seems like I am becoming more vocal when I see it.  Either out loud, or under my breath.  I don’t like how it makes me feel, and if I am not careful, I go on way too long about it.  This is a pattern I’m not too fond of.

The other day, and I wish I could remember the source, I was involved in my devotional time and I came across the phrase, “a gentle and quiet spirit”.  It keeps resonating in my head.  Kind of like a “LSS” (Last Song Syndrome).  You know, the last song in your head that you keep singing over and over.  It seems I can’t get away from thinking about it, so I determined, this must be something God is calling me to.

Now, raising awareness of an injustice is needed and getting loud about it is important for it can draw attention to the situation and cause others to stop, look and decide to join you in your fight to alleviate it, but in everyday life, how you call out something that isn’t fair and or even mention it at all, is important.  That’s where I have been failing in recent days.

Not using the right words, the correct volume or the Godly wisdom to get my point across.

So mush so, I could be labeled as a “Grumpy Old Man”!  I don’t want to be known that way.  When I hear that phrase, I think of the old man in the Disney movie, “Up”.  And now that I think about it, there was a movie titled, “Grumpy Old Men”.

So I am now in the process of transforming my mind.  Training it to “capture” every thought of negative, grumpy, stinking, old criticism and renewing it to handle what I see that bothers me in a “gentle and quiet” way.  I may actually find that technique gets more people to hear what I am saying.

“Do not be shaped by this world. Instead be changed within by a new way of thinking.”  Rom. 12:2 (ICB)

Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.