Today is the day before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is the first of the major holidays in what we refer to as "The Holiday season" or "The Holidays". We refer to them like they are a noisy couple from Scranton that come in once a year to celebrate and they dress colorfully and usually laugh a lot when they drink too much wine. The Holidays are a wonderful time of year for families and memories and showing each other love. I really enjoy this time of year like everyone else, but some days my heart is saddened by our attitudes towards each other when the stress becomes too much.
Like every other situation, we seem to lose ourselves and our focus in the hustle of the season. Its rush rush everywhere and push push in the stores and it's very easy to forget the reason we are doing what we do. I was headed home this past week on the 4 lane when we came to a complete shut down. Nothing was moving up ahead and you couldn’t see anything moving at all. The emergency trucks whisked by like horses at the track and I wondered how devastating it would be to have a wreck on the freeway. As I sat in my truck waiting on traffic, I began to notice the other drivers around me as we inched along. Their faces drawn and their brows heavy as if the thought of them now running late was a 50 lb bag on their head. I wondered if anyone in the mix of traffic was fearful for the lives of the drivers in the accident. I wondered if anyone of them had stopped to ponder if those who were injured were children. No one looked as if they cared. They just wanted the traffic to move faster. I wanted to be angry at the other drivers in the situation but it occurred to me they were just busy living their lives just as the drivers in the accident were. No one really plans on having a wreck, sometimes it just happens. It’s like getting a cavity or a speeding ticket, it’s just not something you want to happen but it does.
I felt pretty bad about being critical of the other drivers. Who gets snobby about compassion? We all screw up and stuff but to look down on others for their frustration was pretty dumb I think. Yeah, maybe it would be good for the drivers to be more concerned, but what about the guy who was in one of the cars who was late to the daycare to pick up his kids and had to shell out another ten bucks for to the sitter during this time of year when he is already strapped for cash? What about the woman who might have been on the way to pick up a client for business. This same client might be the one who makes or breaks her career with her company? When we sit high on our horse of judgment, it becomes very easy to criticize others for what we see as their shortcomings.
While I sat there, I felt like one of those who stood with a stone in his hand around the woman caught in the act of adultery. The revelation of my own sin of judgment was so horrifying to me as I realized I was no better than anyone else and yet I had elevated myself. Sometimes my own selfish nature implores me to seek a deeper truth, to look beyond the everyday life of good and bad. To not be such a schmuck about stuff like looking down my nose. Jesus loves the other drivers without prejudice and longs for each one of them to love deeply. I had been pretty selfish honestly and I laughed to myself remembering I had not cornered the market on his love.
I was glad I had a new view on things. I was only detained for about 45 minutes. I was on my way home to see my honey and I know she wanted to see me, but the lesson I learned about life was worth the time ; )
