Confession: road rage is something I struggle with! No, I don’t swear or use rude hand signals or anything like that. What I do is verbally blow up at the person who cuts me off – yep, out loud, as if they could hear me. I go on and on about how dangerous their move was and how they don’t care about my “BABY ON BOARD” sign in the window. Thankfully the LORD showed me within the last year how wrong of an attitude this is for me, even if it could be justified. You see, Malachi and Joash will pick up on the way I talk to people, and I want to set a better example for them…even in such a situation – especially because crazy drivers are something we see every time we get in the car! So, I am trying to get better about simply saying nothing, and also not craning my neck to glare at the crazy person that just barely missed hitting me. You can laugh – I know you’ve done it, too!
Upon leaving the post office today, I checked behind me to back up the car safely. I noticed two cars already backing up, however, it was safe for me to back up, too, because they were quite a ways behind me down the one-way parking strip. I was moving my car as quickly as was safe, but apparently it wasn’t quick enough for the car farthest back. She had the audacity to speed up past me and the car between us (who was still backing up!) and zoom to the front of the line! I guess she was annoyed about how the whole twenty seconds was going down.
At first, I was super annoyed myself at her arrogance. But almost as soon as the irritation hit, the understanding did, too. “It is really childish and immature for adults to drive like that.” Any time I choose to make some snide driving move (somehow trying to gain revenge, maybe), it is no different than a child who insists on being first in the ice cream line. Whizzing past someone or cutting someone off on the road is just as silly as it is to whine about not getting the blue gummy worm.
Thus, instead of making sure the offending driver knows I’m ticked off at them, I am striving to drive with the love of Christ in mind. Returning evil for evil is childish…and it is disobedient to our Father to do so. Plus, what if by chance I see that person again sometime? Who’s to say they won’t remember my car or me? What if my lack of maturity in a heated moment on the road later causes them to disdain Christ when they find out I am a Christian?
God asks us to walk circumspectly (Ephesians 5:15). He wants us to be conscious of how our actions affect others (Matthew 5:16). There are enough grumpy drivers on the roads; I should be different, and instead become a cheerful driver, and “recompense to no man evil for evil” (Romans 12:17).
That was an excellent article and something so many of us just don’t think about our testimony before others. Yes we are to be different from this world. Thank you for sharing such honest truth.
I too struggle with this, and like you, I tell at the other driver as if they can hear me for about a half-hour down the road. Thank you for sharing and reminding this old woman to reflect quietly and remember WWJD? Love you, Miss Lois.
OUCH! 🙂
Excellent article, keep up the good work.
Dear Lois, This is excellent. As someone that knows you well, I never thought your easy irritation with other drivers fit with your overall manner, but I have seen it. This article reminded me of something that I nearly passed on to my children… in moments of extreme frustration, I sighed, but kind of with a growl. Not pretty, but one day I heard you do it. You sounded like me. Yikes! I remember talking to you about it and telling you I should not do that and I don’t think I have since. Bad habits are easier to break when little ones are following behind us and doing the same things they have seen us do. My Loie ….
Thank you for sharing your heart, I’m guilty and pray I’ll be better at not showing that anger, keeping it under subjection to the HS and realizing that there is always someone watching!
God bless you, Lois.