Irony

Yesterday, I headed out on some errands in West Knoxville.  I made it out of Fountain City fine, avoiding the Tazewell Pike at Jacksboro traffic backup by going mid-morning...merged onto Broadway, north of the interstate, without any problem...then headed up the I-640 entrance ramp when it got interesting.  There was a large pickup truck barrelling down the outside lane as I tried to merge.  I couldn't slow down much, as there was a car on my tailfeathers...and the ramp is very short, so not much time to do anything.  The truck could have moved over into the inside lane, as there was nothing there...but he didn't!  So  I had to ride down the narrow shoulder til he passed.  It made me mad for sure, and I reacted rather badly, laying down on my horn.

The irony of the situation is this:  I was playing our favorite CD, one by Joel Raney when he was at our church for Composers' Weekend.  We love his music; he is a master musician, and it soothes my soul as I listen.  When I went for my horn-blowing, with my left hand, I hit the "back" button on the steering wheel, and it interrupted the music, starting it over.  "Walk by Faith" was what I was about to hear!  I was missing the very song I needed to hear.  It was a lesson from above, and it got my attention immediately.  Instead of getting myself all worked and into minor road rage, over some driver's rudeness, I could be experiencing some joy and peace in listening to and learning from a song of praise that I love.  I'm thankful for that lesson and will remember it for sure.

Isn't that just like us humans?  We know the right thing to do, but so often we, in our humanity, go off in the wrong direction with our bad reactions, our knee-jerks when someone or something irritates us.  All my horn-blowing did was vent a little of my frustration, and it didn't do one thing for the other guy but show what a bad girl I was for behaving that way.  I'll try, with a little Help, to not do that again.  I'll try to show a little more mercy to the other driver, even if he is wrong, wrong, wrong.  I'll be "walking with a little more faith" as I follow In His Steps a little more closely.  For if we're to be salt and light, we're going to have to put away those nasty thoughts and bad attitudes and focus a little more on what's really important.

Yes, I'm thankful it happened.  I'm thankful I didn't wreck...I'm thankful I for the lesson I'm learning about not reacting badly...I'm thankful for a God who knows and understands and forgives...and who interjects Himself into situations at the very moment we need Him and His wisdom.  Here's to a day when perhaps I can show some of His mercy and grace, just as I have been graced by Him.  I may even try to smile at the next rude driver I encounter!