Road Rage is not Biblical

A Wyoming driver cut me off today.  In a big, dangerous way.  Now, far be it from me to stereotype, but I get many many closeups of the Cowboy State plates and I have some preconceived ideas.  So I loaded my verbal cannon and prepared to fire.

Then I remembered that I have a Jesus fish on my car.  I have made a choice to follow Him and turn my life (and tongue) over to him.  I ran my diatribe against the scriptures I happen to know and guess what?  Road rage is not Biblical.  I tried.  Momentarily, I wondered if Jesus would have been so perfect had he been in 5:00 traffic. 

Yes.  Yes he would. 

I stifled my anger and continued along my way.  As I drove, I realized that I have always given Jesus the obvious thanks.  He saved me from all kinds of horrors – single motherhood, drugs, alcoholism, a shopping addiction, bankruptcy, pregnant teenagers, probably even life on the streets.  Who knows what kind of damage I could have done on my own.  Really, though, I think my walk with Jesus has truly saved my life.  I have a poison tongue and I always loved to use it.  In fact, that was the hardest thing for me to let go of when I became a Christian.  Obviously, if I am loading verbal cannons in the safety of my Nissan, I still love it.  But out of obedience to the Lord, I stifle it. 

Odds are that if I had rolled down my window to fire away at Mr. Wyoming, he would not have shown me his 9mm, but if I were to fire my tongue every time inspiration strikes, I may not have made it very far.  It is amazing to me how God’s grace saves us.  I have always been greatful that my faith kept me from the world’s temptations, but now I reflect on my own self destruction.  Thank God for saving me from me.

Crystal Red Lust…Crystal Clear

Driving into work this morning I am obsessing about my dwindling (although slowly) debt and feeling very grateful to the Lord for tending to all my material needs.  I’m thinking about the lilies of the field and the swallows of the air¹ when here comes a CADILLAC CTS.  RED…Crystal Red.  You know the one.  It’s resting on meaty haunches, ready to pounce on my unsuspecting Nissan.  And I’m rooting for the CTS!  Trusty Nissan be damned!  I roll my window down, hoping to hear the engine, but the driver is not an engine revving kind of girl.  Tragic waste.  Suddenly, I am weak in the knees.  WEAK IN THE KNEES!!  And I’m thinking, “come on…open it up…let’s see what you can do…”  Then I start to get the whole men and strippers thing.  I wanna see IT ALL!  There are no more lilies on my brain, just 6 pounding cylinders and a leather wrapped steering wheel.  This hunk of throbbing American metal is begging me to save it from the mundane suburban traffic and run it through the twisting canyon just miles away.  Never mind national security and environmental implications, the true tragedy of our current energy crisis is the demise of the drive.  At $4.00/gallon, it is a rare treat to open the throttle and feel my car’s power surge into the empty lane next to me.  And an aggressive drive through the canyon?  Sadly put on hold as I “conserve” the liquid gold for trips to Super Target.  Where’s the joy?

Actually, it’s probably not in the Cadillac.  Amazing how, despite so many efforts to avoid materialism and count my MANY blessinge (even that trusty Nissan I sold down the river), I am quickly taken from a state of gratitude to a state of dissatisfaction.  In a mere moment, I question every choice I’ve made and rue the dull life I have chosen to lead.  Sad what a little chrome can do to steal the luster from true joy.  With beautiful, healthy, warm, educated and well-fed daughters and a husband and countless friends I have no right to want for more. 

 ¹Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Luke 12:27