One of those Days
I want to start out by stating that what I’m about to tell you is humorous and not that I think I’m worse off than everybody else.
But yesterday, was just one of those days. We’ve all have had them. Everywhere I went, there were people getting in my way (unaware of that I suspect) turning left in traffic, going slow, trains crossing the road where I hardly see trains. You know the kind of day I’m speaking of.
Most of these encounters were fairly benign as far as me getting upset. Praise God that my faith walk and maturity kept me calm. I can imagine, not too long ago, how I would have reacted (and it’s not a pretty picture).
The one embarrassing encounter was later in the afternoon. I was driving to the church and had to wait for a train. I decided to pass the time by noticing the graffiti on the train cars. For the most part, some people that paint graffiti on train cars have a significant artistic ability that I hope will be getting funneled to more appropriate applications soon.
Anyway, I’m watching the graffiti on the far side of a gap left for the perpendicular traffic to either turn away from the train crossing or wait to cross the tracks like I was. Suddenly, the train ended and we waited for the crossing guard to go up. When the traffic started moving, I must have been distracted by the graffiti because I paused. The SUV on the perpendicular road took that as my letting him turn in front of me. That wasn’t my intention but I decided to fake it as my intention. Internally, I was mad at myself for not paying attention and going when I could as my right.
I suddenly realized that the person saw a vehicle pause giving him the opportunity to enter the traffic flow. He had no idea it wasn’t intentional. From his perspective, all he saw was a guy in a truck letting him in the traffic flow earlier than he expected. I had no right to get upset or mad because no wrong to me had been done. That’s when the embarrassment set in.
“Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, ‘I remember my offenses today. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.’”- Genesis 41:9-13 ESV
“And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” - Matthew 11:4-6
“A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.” - Proverbs 18:19
Maybe, if I learned a lesson, the day was a good day…
