Day 26: Some Monkeys Are Idiots
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We went to the Batu Caves in Malaysia, and it was the first time my daughter had seen a monkey. She was feeding them bananas and laughing and enjoying life and having the best moment. But every monkey group has an idiot.
And the idiot monkey came up and molded for bananas and scratched her and bitter on the arm, and left her distraught and crying. I wanted to kick the thing, but she bounce back pretty quickly actually. Within a few minutes she was laughing again and having a grand old time. It made me realize I spent way too much time letting the idiot monkey affect me
Let’s Talk
There’s always an idiot monkey.
Sometimes it’s the passive-aggressive coworker. Sometimes it’s that friend who always makes everything about them. Sometimes it’s the rude troll on the internet who decided your comment needed hammering.
But here’s the thing: your joy doesn’t belong to them. You don’t have to hand over your peace to the loudest, most obnoxious person in the room.
People will snatch your bananas. They’ll scratch your confidence. They’ll leave bite marks where your joy used to live. But you can decide what happens next.
You can hold onto the offence… or you can shrug it off, move forward, and go find a better monkey troop to hang with.
Don’t build your life around avoiding idiot monkeys. Just don’t let them be the ones who set your mood.
Scripture
Romans 12:18 (NIV)
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Notice it says “as far as it depends on you.” Not everything does. You can’t fix every relationship or justify your motives to every fool — but you can choose how you respond when people act like primates.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
That includes how you respond to monkeys — literal or metaphorical.
Mental Health Moment
It’s wild how often we let difficult people live rent-free in our minds. One rude comment, one manipulative message — and suddenly, they’re pacing around in our minds like they own the place.
Watching my daughter bounce back from a monkey bite in minutes reminded me how much longer I tend to carry things that don’t deserve that much weight. She cried — but then she laughed. She hurt — but then she moved on.
Dr. Henry Cloud writes,
“Resilience is not about avoiding pain. It’s about learning how to feel it, name it, and then move through it without letting it define you.”
You can acknowledge the impact… without handing over your peace.
You can get scratched… and still choose joy.
Practice for Today
Think of one person or situation that’s been stealing your joy.
Take a deep breath, laugh a little, and imagine them as a scruffy monkey who doesn’t deserve your bananas.
Decide: What’s a better use of my energy today?
Then go and enjoy it — unapologetically.
A Prayer for the Monkey Bitten
God,
You see the bites, the scratches, and the banana thefts.
Help me not to let one loud fool overshadow all the beauty around me.
Teach me when to speak up, when to step back, and when to simply let it go.
Fill me with joy again.
I’m tired of letting monkeys run the show.
Amen.
Reflection Prompt
What “idiot monkey” situation have you let ruin your day recently?
What would it look like to laugh, heal, and move forward with joy — like a kid who’s ready to feed the nice monkeys again?
