Choose Grace and Love

Choose Grace and Love

My wife warned me. She told me to be careful. She let me know it would be like a war zone out there. Of course what I’m talking about is the morning school drop off zone! 

I failed to fully heed her advice (a reoccurring pattern unfortunately) and I paid the ultimate price.

I was honked at for not following proper drop off protocol 

What happened next is why I’m violating my own “keep it positive or keep your trap shut” FB rule.

When the horn blew the reality of my gaff instantly came to light in my reptilian mammal brain (I like turtles for a reason!) My first error was pulling into the lane with far fewer cars than the one I was in. I’m a guy, I’m constantly on the look out for the shorter line and winning the never ending race to be ahead! It was only after I had bested 6 or 7 cars in my former lane that I realized there was a merge ahead 

Instantly, I slammed on my brakes. It’s amazing how fast a car can stop when you’re traveling at 7 miles per hour! The problem was the suckers in the right (pun intended) lane were inching along at only three and a half! That’s when I saw her. The devil disguising himself as a middle aged mom driving a car with a Christian symbol no less on the back! It was their horn that had just alerted me to my grievous crime.

Now, at a dead stop, my bumper unforgivably inches in front of hers, our eyes met. It was immediately apparent to me this woman believed I had somehow been able to eat her precious baby in the few moments since she had dropped her or him off!

I was in the wrong. I earned an “F” in school drop off zone etiquette that day. Accepting my fate my eyes pleaded with her scorn with an expression the likes of which would have made Sally Field talking about abused animals on a late night infomercial for the humane society seem cold.

I’m not a lip reader but I had ZERO problem deciphering what her lips emphatically mouthed behind her closed window.

Now, despite being known universally for my laid back nature, the first thought that crossed my mind was, let’s just say, not very Christian. Suddenly the only appropriate response to a man driving a Jeep with lifted tires who had just been cursed at popped into my mind…

That 8″ curb is the only thing preventing me from launching my vehicle over the median, onto the sidewalk and past her and all the other cars for that matter still trapped behind the stop sign!

With a lighting quick reptilian response my brain reverts to only in fight and flight matters of life and death my truck had jumped the curb, speed to the front of the line, and won the race to the stop sign!

Just before I could receive my gold medal from the Gods of all that is right and true in this world having triumphantly bested my new found adversary, I awoke from my dream and eased my car behind hers in line.

I’m still shaking my head as I type these words. In a world where Mariah Carey gets persecuted relentlessly (ok it was kinda funny) for an equipment malfunction is it any doubt that a father pinch hitting for his wife who’s away on a mission trip would be vilified for accidentally cutting in line?

The moral of the story is this. If you’re living in America the greatest nation on earth and driving a Champaign colored Mercedes while dropping your kid off at a private school you got NO PROBLEMS!

Why make problems you don’t need?!

All of us, myself included, are sometimes guilty of passing judgment without knowing all the facts.

…Or laughing at a multi millionaire divas technical malfunction.

… Or letting our personal, religious and certainly political views impede our ability to give grace and love to all who need it.

I needed grace this morning not scorn. I’m far from alone in that regard.

“Can’t wait” to see what happens in the line of life tomorrow.

Grace and Love FB!