bad day got worse

There is a saying that one can start their day over at any given moment. I have started mine over several times today and the day only seems to get worse.

Phone rings. It's a woman from church; one that isn't actively involved apart from attending some what regularly and putting her nose in everyone's business. The first thing she asks is have I heard from my tests, so we talk about that a few minutes. Then she asks if anyone has said something at church that hurt Terry's feelings.

I swear, the woman is spastic, she talks like this--I just wondered, you know, if anyone had said anything, that, might, have, well hurt Terry's feelings. You know, I haven't seen him at church.

I replied negative to that question.

Then she says, "Is Terry still a deacon?"
I reply that to my knowledge he is. I haven't seen his dismissal papers yet. (I laughed when I said this)

Well, she says, you know, I just hadn't seen him at church and when a person has a role of leadership he needs to be an example you know. People talk you know.

I ask what do they talk about. She says, "They come to me (yeah right) and say, well I see so and so at certain places but not at church. Looks like if they can go to these other places they can go to church."

I say, "You know this is our busy time. One of us has to be at the nursery watering and tending to customers. Terry comes to Sunday School then leaves to take care of the business. I've been under the weather, so he does all the work, where as used to we would take turns missing church on Sunday."

She agrees that she knows we have the nursery, then she goes off into a spiel about people being around people who drink and being judged by the company they keep. She says that folks do that, you know; why one time her husband was invited somewhere to eat and there was drinking and he was judged because he was around drinking. Why she wouldn't even go to her own daughter's reception due to drinking and cussing going on there.

I say, So you are one of those who judge people by the company they keep." She quickly denies this, but blathers on about people asking her about Terry and finally I say, "Look, if this is going to be a he said, she said, they said attempt to involve me in controversy, then we will end this conversation now."

Oh no, she says, oh no.

Then she asks the 5th time about someone saying something to hurt Terry's feelings and tells me about someone telling her husband that he doesn't know what it's like to be a Baptist or a deacon. At this point I say,"Look, the only problem Terry had he spoke up publically about and if you were at Prayer Meeting you heard it. He stated his opinion and was done with it."

"Well," she says, "I think the preacher ought to be able to preach as long as the Spirit leads."
I say, "I believe the preacher should respect the people he serves and realize they have children who need to get to bed and the teachers don't need to be kept in the rooms with their students over time."
She says, "But he's led of God, so if God is leading him to speak, he should speak."

Well, hon, you don't have kids or grand kids to get home and bathe and get into bed. When it's 8:30 leaving church, it's usually after 10 before we can get them in bed."

"Well most don't go to bed until then anyway." she says.
I reply, "Mine do."

"Well he seems to be the type to work with people", she says, to which I reply-not so much. I ask him to let us out at 8 one night when I had the boys class and it was 8:30 before church dismissed."

Well she then says, "Maybe those children who go to bed early should just stay home."
I said, "So now the children must suffer because the preacher doesn't know when to shut up."

So, if she was seeking fodder to chew on and pass along, then she got some. At this point I don't care.