A designated driver - or dedicated driver?

Recently a fellow chaplain told of her growing edge, admitting how bothered she can get at other drivers on the road. She said, “I don’t know why people ignore signs—or at times even the lights!” I noticed the intensity of this kind woman’s voice and realized her as a kindred spirit. We both fill our lives with doing what we can to help others know they are loved by God within their illnesses, and/or deaths. We shared the truth that sometimes we need support in our own growth processes.

Many years ago while in a growth group talking about ways to improve ourselves, the subject of our road experiences came up. I blurted out this admission, “If you see me on the road, just pull over and pray!” That was a great group. We laughed a lot within these conversations.

My chaplain friend and I admit that driving still finds us fuming on occasions at least momentarily. And, as we talked further it was evident we both have recently decided to care more for other drivers, and to pray for them, while sensing that old feeling of “hot under the collar.” Sometimes it helps to pray that “certain drivers” will get well deserved tickets before hurting themselves or others. Some people learn this way.

Growing in patience is challenging, yet it clearly leads to an Excellency within spiritual growth toward which many of us continually seek to advance.

Galatians 5:22-24, is pertinent, here. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Once I prayed for patience—and only once. It seemed God was happy to answer that prayer … as He knows how much easier life will be as we work on gaining patience (self-control, even longsuffering). Then several “new” challenges came soon after, that seemed consequential.  So, that prayer calls for added spiritual gumption.

Gradually, we learn in life that God is love and one of His greatest gifts to us comes through our caring deeply for our “neighbors–even our anonymous neighbors next to us in cars. While growing in our ability to love we become empowered to gain the nine fruits of the Spirit shown above.

For sure, we will not always remember to be kind, caring and patient—and forgiving–while driving the roads. Still, let’s not stop trying. Every day is a new beginning. As Thomas H Palmer (1840), put it, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

I recently took a new tack for being patient while on the road. I asked God to help me become a dedicated driver. Being a dedicated driver will see me choosing as I put the key in the ignition to be “good as gold” while at the wheel . . . able to momentarily shift gears–out of judgement of others–into self-control. My hope these days is to always care about what other drivers may be going through in their lives while asking God to help them discover that they are loved and with prayer everything can turn out for the good as they place their trust in Him.