I’d read about it, seen clips on T.V. about it, and figured Dr. Phil was at work to help all of America deal with it. But until a few weeks ago, I’d never personally been on the receiving end of “road rage.”
Oh sure, I’ve gotten dirty looks and even a few obscene gestures in my years of driving, but I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a certifiable, thoroughly whacked out, psycho-on-wheels until recently.
It happened as I was driving to church one Sunday morning. A friend was with me because we both had to get there early and our husbands didn’t. We were peacefully stopped at an intersection and someone, somewhere honked a car horn. I was neither the honker nor the honkee (the one for whom the horn honked).
After the light changed and we proceeded down the street, suddenly the woman in front of us slowed, rolled down her window, extended her arm, and delivered the universal gesture which so clearly communicates … well, let me sanitize and summarize it this way: “I am harboring heaping mounds of ill will toward you right now.”
“Look!” I exclaimed to my friend. “What is THAT about? Do you think she thought I was honking at her back there? I didn’t do anything!”
I drove on, feeling quite unjustly accused. A few blocks later, the woman slammed (and I’m talking s-l-a-m-m-e-d) on her brakes in the middle of the street, began to open her door and acted like she was preparing to jump out of her car, pull out an Uzi and blow us away.
“Call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!” my friend blurted out.
“By the time they get here, we’ll be dead!” I replied.
Fortunately, Psycho Chick was faking us out. She never actually got out of her car – she just sat there in the middle of the road for awhile, daring us to go around her, and then went on, eventually turning off and heading straight for … guess where? A church!
Not that she shouldn’t have gone to church – obviously, she needed Jesus in a big way. But I wanted to take hold of her polyester lapels, get in her face and say, “Hey – what’s wrong with you? Don’t you know that the world is watching those of us who call ourselves Christians, and when we act like you just did out there it makes them want to throw up?”
I believe this woman was in serious need of a “word” and at that moment, I would have gladly delivered it unto her.
The fact is, we can slap fish symbols on our cars, lug around supersized Bibles and go to church every Sunday, but the world won’t be impressed. They want to see if Jesus makes a difference in our lives when we’re out there on the road, in the line at Wal-Mart, at our kids’ baseball game, dealing with a job layoff, getting a tough diagnosis at the doctor’s office …
… or … uh … perhaps enduring someone’s misguided road rage without … uh … slipping off into a bit of a rage ourselves.
Can we forgive, overlook, trust, rejoice and love anyway?
Ouch – I really hate it when I step on my own toes.
Romans 12:17 & 21 — Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.