At a bagel shop today I was looking for a parking spot. A man walked to his car, and got in. I waited. I could see him in his car. He looked at me and then started digging in the glove box, looking at things on his seat. My wife got out and I waited. As soon as I went to find a new parking spot, he drove out. I had to drive around the parking lot to get back to the spot. I was angry!
I get angry when I see people act like no one else matters. I'm not even sure why, but it stirs anger from deep inside me. The driver of the car could see me waiting. If he considered the condition of the parking lot he would have realized that someone was waiting for his spot. And yet he took his time to leave.
In church today the pastor talked about loving our enemies. I wondered who my enemy was. It is easy to love our far away enemies. That take no sacrifice. In my anger towards this anonymous driver, he had become my enemy. LIKE HELL I AM GOING TO LOVE HIM. He doesn't deserve it!
And yet that is precisely what God asks us to do. In church, the pastor gave a practical suggestion for loving those who anger you. Pray for them. He talked about driving behind a slow driver and praying for her. He stated that it didn't make the drive go quicker, but it made him more tolerating of her slowness.
Thinking back on today and how I could have reacted, instead of the vile words I uttered at the rear of his car, I could simply ask God to forgive him for he didn't know what he was doing. That is what Jesus did while hanging on the cross. As I consider doing that, it seems like a REALLY hard thing to do! I can assure you that this response will not be the first horse out of the gate.
Maybe I could have parked my car, blocking him in his parking space, kneel in front of his car grille, and pray for him, demonstrating my resolve to love him. I don't know, maybe my approach needs a little work.
I guess I'll go pray about it!
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