“Keep on loving one another as brothers.”
Hebrews 13:1
Yesterday I had a long drive to Maggie’s track meet. It was a good time to be driving; middle of the week, midday and consequently not much traffic. I headed out on a freeway that had a nice long rural stretch, put on the cruise control and settled in. Before long a nice looking sedan passed me and then pulled into my lane in front of me. As it often times happens cars tend to leap frog one another on the freeway. I pull back out into the passing lane and am just about to overtake the other car when I notice their left turn signal is flashing. I see a semi in that lane ahead and think to myself I can either hit my brakes and slow way down so they can pull out it front of me or I can punch it and pass them by and then they will pull into the passing lane behind me. I am just about beside them so I punch the accelerator in my zippy little car and away I went. It isn’t thirty seconds later when I hear a horn honk and glance in my rear view mirror where I see a clean cut looking middle aged woman behind the wheel of that car and to my wondering eyes she is waving at me… with her middle finger!
My jaw drops and I put my hand over my mouth in shock. Can’t you just feel how mortified I am?! And she can see my response and guess what? She does it again!! I am thinking, “oh my” and I wave, with all my fingers, and speed up and get around the semi and pull into the lane in front of him. In my side view mirror I see the sedan coming up on my left and I make a decision to respond, but not in kind. I carry my Grandmother’s Bible in the pocket compartment of the driver’s door and I whip that baby out and press it to the glass of my driver’s side window as she drives by so it can shield me from her in case she decides to wave at me again and honestly, I hoped it made her think twice about her behavior. (Secretly I hoped she thought I was a preacher, so she would REALLY felt guilty!)
Well, let me tell you, this encounter may not have made her stop and think, but it sure made me. It made me think about: how angry, impatient, judgmental and unkind folks have become and the combination of these qualities acted out in our world never ends well. It’s sure not the first time and it probably won’t be the last time human beings treat like dirt.
So I made a decision to try an experiment for…well, the rest of my life, and I hope you will consider joining me. I have decided that I am going to be the change that I want to see in the world. By that I mean I will do my best to:
Connect with God as much as I can, He is right here with me, all I have to do is look up and ask for help and guidance and it will come. I’ve tried doing life on my own and I ended up acting like the lady in the car. Not good. I need God’s help to love others well.
I will shield myself with my Bible using it as lamp for my feet and a light for my path. Then God’s Word will be a bridge to build relationships and not a brick to whack others over the head with. And by the way, the summary of what it commands is: love God and love my neighbor, in that order and with God’s help I intend to become more obedient to those two commands.
I can’t give away what I don’t have, so I have to have love, kindness, respect, patience, forgiveness and the like stored up in my heart if I intend to give those things away to others. Again, that requires help from above and from my shield, the Good Book.
So with no excuses, which are like noses- everybody’s got one, I go forth to be the change I want to see in the world and with God’s help, that won’t include any middle finger waves.
Be the change and:
Be joy filled always,
Christine Davis