Road Rage and a Flamingo…

In the last month, I have had two incidents that I will relate. Neither of which make me look that great. Hence why it has taken a month to write this little missive….

The first incident is a case of road rage, well…more like road reaction.

I was pulling into my dad’s apartment complex to pick him up for cancer treatment, and a semi pulled into the complex before me. I didn’t pull in far, barely off the street to see where the driver was going to go. This is when the driver started to back up.

I have on both sides of my family, professional truck drivers. I know that they know what they are about, so when he was backing up, I wasn’t worried at first. That was until his cab came less than a foot from my front bumper. I literally laid on my horn (with my whole upper body) until the driver stopped, opened his door, and started screaming a bunch of obscenities at me (the kind that would make a sailor blush).

Now, I would like to say that I remained calm and said nothing, but that would be a lie. What I did instead was open my door and yell back, “I am here to pick up my dad, you *bleep*”. Only I didn’t say “bleep”, I said something that has an “a” and a “hole” in it.  

Not good….

The driver continued to park, and I was able to pick up my dad, but my blood pressure was soaring. I remained in an agitated state in the waiting room of the cancer center when my phone went off and I jumped.

There was a tough looking older woman in the waiting room that laughed at my jumping and that started a conversation. I explained to her that I was on edge because of what happened at my dad’s apartment.

I also said that I am a Christian and I knew better than that and I needed to ask for God’s forgiveness because He expects better from me. In other words, if I am going to say I’m a Christian, I need to behave like a Christian.

My admission led to a really good conversation about cancer and God and how grateful we both were that we had God in our lives. Her tough looking (think leather motorcycle jacket) husband came out to the waiting room, and I had a nice conversation with him as well.

What a blessing!

God turned my screw-up into an opportunity to connect with people and talk about Jesus. How cool is that?!

My next screw-up happened at Hobby Lobby.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, my dad put a really tacky pink flamingo in my yard without telling me. When it was discovered, it started years of “flamingo wars” between our houses. It was my dad’s way of trying to lift my spirits during a dark time.

After we moved my dad into his apartment, I decided I was going to get a little flamingo and sneak it into my dad’s place.

I ventured to Hobby Lobby to purchase said flamingo, and when I found a display of them, I picked one up. Unfortunately, my action caused a reaction, and one flamingo fell to the floor and broke its neck.

I picked up the damaged bird, selected a good bird, and put both in my cart to purchase.

When I got up to the register, I told the young man ringing me up that I broke the flamingo and wanted to pay for it. He said that it wasn’t the store policy to make us pay for broken items. I said that it may not be their policy, but I broke it, so I should pay for it.

I also stated that if I am going to say I am a Christian, I needed to behave like a Christian. (yes- I had been saying that a lot publicly lately). He just looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and continued to ring me up.

What I wasn’t expecting after that exchange is for the woman who was checking out in front of me, still collecting her bags while I was talking to the young man, to approach me and say “thank you.” I looked at her confused and smiled. I mean, she didn’t have a financial stake in Hobby Lobby or anything. She was a customer, so I wasn’t quite sure what she was thanking me for.

The lady then told me to have a blessed day, and I returned a blessing to her as well.

I guess she was thanking me for doing what I considered to be the right thing. So, for a few bucks and a small hit to my pride in having to admit I was clumsy, God used my circumstance to bless others, which also blessed me.

Again, He took my screw-up and used it for His glory.

How cool is that?! I mean, come on! As humans we screw up all of the time.

I am just grateful I serve a God that uses those screw-ups for MY good, and hopefully others as well. This is why Romans 8:28 is my favorite verse.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Even when losing it with a semi-truck driver or breaking a flamingo’s neck…to God be the Glory!!!