Lane Changing

Getting from point A to B during rush hour traffic is no easy task around here. The streets are narrow and the cars are many. I don't want to label all New Englanders as aggressive drivers but let me just say that they are not shy when it comes to road rage. They freely blare their horn and cast dirty looks and throw up their middle finger as if it's a second language.  I have been out of California long enough to have forgotten this "way of life" on the road of commuters. 

I try to avoid traveling during these peak hours as much as possible but there are more times lately that I have had to head out to the dark side. My hubby had an early morning flight the other day. I needed to get him to the airport which is in the city. Four a.m. on a Monday didn't seem too bad. We would beat most of the traffic. So we thought. Smooth sailing, until we got to the tunnel that leads both into the heart of the city as well as the airport exit. We watched as the clock moved much faster than the lane we were traveling in. 

What got frustrating was seeing that the main problem was the drivers blasting past us in the empty lane heading in another direction only to cut in at the front of the line of cars we were sitting behind. Horns were blaring and tempers were flying. I said to my husband, "No wonder people are so angry here". If I had to do that commute everyday I would be in a constant bad mood too. Again, I'm not labeling everyone here, in fact I have met some of the nicest people. From what I have seen though, they aren't very forgiving or gracious to one another on the road. 

As I skidded to the curb at the airport, my poor hubby had thirty minutes to do the "Home Alone" run through the airport to catch his flight. I was stressed for him. However, I was relieved that my drive home would be against traffic. As I was trying to merge into the lane I needed to be in for my freeway I was greeted by a rather relentless horn of a black SUV. You know when you can tell the driver is glaring at you ( maybe even giving you the bird) so you just keep your eyes forward and pretend you don't notice? Yea, it was like that. The traffic moved so he could go but he chose to wait so that I had to make eye contact with him. That's when he began to tell me off, apparently, he thought I was trying to cut. I just smiled and motioned for him to go ahead and then turned my head so I didn't see what the rest of his tongue lashing or hand gestures would be. 

Sheesh, what anger and energy that must take. And not to mention a horrible way to start your day. So I refused to let it get to me. The rest of the drive was uneventful and I chose to shake it off so that it didn't ruin my morning or day.

Fast forward to three days later when I had to go back to pick my hubby up at the airport. He was scheduled to land at 5:00. No problem, going to the city against traffic won't be a big deal at all...... Famous last words. I checked his flight status and he was landing a half hour early. Normally it takes about 35 minutes to get to the airport from our house. I usually double my time allowance. This time I even gave myself an extra few minutes on top of that. I optimistically grabbed my book thinking I would have to wait for him to get his luggage so I would have something to read and just wait. Then I came to that familiar tunnel. 

That tunnel is now my nemesis! Mind you the tunnel is only about three and half miles from point of entry to airport exit. I sat there and once again watched the clock move at a much faster pace than the vehicles ahead of me and once again I watched selfish drivers think that their time is more import than the rest of us waiting, not so patiently, for our lane to move forward. My husband's plane not only landed but had most likely already reboarded for their return flight. He called, " hey, I'm here, where are you? " " Argghhhh, I'm so sorry I'm stuck in the tunnel,  hang tight I'll  be there ASAP" 

I'm now at the Y in the road where I will finally get close to the exit I need. A little white box car comes blasting up the lane on my right and noses in near my front passenger fender. " ohhhh, NO you don't buddy." I crept up as close as I could, without actually touching the car in front of me.  "I waited my turn in my lane and I am not letting you in, you cheater!" I may have even thrown him a glance with a raised eyebrow. My car with park assist beeped in protest that I was way too close to the car in front of me but I held my ground and inched forward successfully nosing Little White Box car out. Yes! Victory! My heart was racing, my hands were shaking, I may have even been sweating a little and I won! It felt good! Yes, it felt good....for about three minutes. 

Then God gently reminded me of the Monday before when the SUV treated me so unkindly. " Arrgghh, I'm becoming one of them!" I assumed that Little White Box car was cutting and most likely he was. But maybe he was in the same boat as me. An hour late picking up a loved one at the airport. Or maybe his GPS is one of those that doesn't give him a heads up and instead says " keep left NOW! "   What I realized in that moment ( again) was that I have no idea what is going on in someone's life. I've not walked in their shoes and I am to extend grace (undeserved favor) just as it has been extended to me. I can conform so easily to the ways of the world and the angry people in it. Or, I can resist the temptation to act on my emotions. Instead choose to live as Jesus wants me to. It's easy to be kind to those that are kind. It's much harder to love those that I struggle with. The ones that are holding up their middle finger to life and cutting everyone off. They have fallen into living in the ways of the world and are now fighting each other to get ahead. Chances are it's because people in their life have pushed their bumper up so far they wouldn't let them in ahead of them in their lane.  They have had the " ohhhh, NO you don't buddy" more often than not. 

I don't have to go have a cup of coffee with these people but I think if I let more people go in ahead of me it could make someone's morning a little bit better. Maybe they won't be so angry with the next person they meet and even hold back on their horn blaring or sign language.  Maybe they will in turn let someone in ahead of them. And who knows, maybe a bonus would be;  that satisfactory feeling of victory might stick around a lot longer three minutes? Because it is much better to give than receive. I know that from experience too.

- Pressing On

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. (Luke 6:35-36 NLT)