Posts Tagged: road rage

“Letting Our Death Inform Our Life”

On August 31, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

A week ago today, a horrific event took place in our neighborhood. About 200 yards from where we live, a man murdered his wife. Two days later, he confessed to the crime and took his own life when the police came to arrest him. This has, of course, shaken our quiet community to its core.

What could cause a man to make this kind of decision? Who knows? The desire to control other people, anger when we can’t, our own evil hearts—again I ask, who knows?

The Bible is not an optimistic book when it comes to human nature. According to Jeremiah 17:9-10,

“Jer. 17:9 ¶    The heart is deceitful above all things,

                        and desperately sick;

                        who can understand it?”

And then, God answers his own question.

“Jer. 17:10     “I the LORD search the heart

                        and test the mind,

             to give every man according to his ways,

                        according to the fruit of his deeds.”

I think that the thing that unsettles us/me the most is the unwelcome suspicion that we ourselves might be capable of terrible acts of violence. We like to flatter ourselves with lies about how we would never do such a violent thing. Then, we get in our cars, somebody cuts us off on the interstate and a murderous rage hijacks our brain.

Perhaps one thing that might help us to live better is to realize that this might very well be the last day we get to live. A friend of mine pointed this out in an email just this morning by sending me his thoughts about a reading from the American Indian website “White Bison”:

“Reflection on white bison 8/30- ‘My life is run by choices and decisions. Every choice I make today will carry with it the consequences of that choice. Every decision I make today will carry with it the consequences of that decision. The question I will ask myself today is, ‘Do I want to be happy or do I want to be right?’ Which ever one I choose will have a lot to do with the consequences I will experience today. If today was the last day of my life, what choices and what decisions would I make? Oh Great Spirit, guide my path today and help me see the value of choosing the Red Road.”

My friend goes on, “I love that question about if this was the last day of my life. As much as I’m around death, I feel like I haven’t really asked myself that in a long time. The human feeling that “it can’t happen to me” is persistent. How would I want to live though if it was really my last day? Man, I’d cherish it. I’d want to be present and open and loving. I’d just want to love everyone and everything. Serenity, peace, acceptance, sacred awe, joy, connection, humility, tenderness, vulnerability. That’s the good stuff!”

I’d make the decision to stay in the good stuff. I should try that tomorrow. Remind myself that I’m going to die and let that inform how I live my day.”

Yes indeed! That is the good stuff! And the good stuff, along with the realization that it could well be gone before the day is through, may keep us and other people alive and well for another day.

, , ,

“The Glory of Overlooking Things”

On November 5, 2020 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Prov. 19:11    Good sense makes one slow to anger,

                        and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (English Standard Version)

I wasn’t very glorious the other day.  In fact, I almost caused a very serious accident.  The details don’t matter.  What does matter is that I did not handle a highway offence in a glorious manner.  Quite the contrary: I allowed a jerk to turn me into a jerk myself.

Of course, if the jerkiness had not been in me, it couldn’t have come out of me.  Andy Stanley warns his listeners not to make the following statement, “I don’t know where that came from” when they’ve messed up.  Andy says, “I know where it came from.  It came from you!”  Right!  (One of the things I really like about Andy Stanley is that I don’t like a lot of what he says.  But, of course, he’s right.)

It is easy to rationalize this proverb, if we simply look at most of the translations.  We might think that the word translated “offence” (English Standard Version) suggests a minor offense.  Nope!  The Hebrew word pāšaʿ suggests a serious violation of trust.  This Hebrew word is often translated as “rebellion” or “transgression”.  It applies to both rebellion against God and human beings.  So, it is not legitimate to say, “Oh, I do in fact overlook minor things, but when it comes to big things, I don’t overlook.  I don’t even just get mad.  I get even!”  And it is always a big deal when someone transgresses against or offends us, isn’t it?

Choosing to overlook an offense doesn’t mean denying it or minimizing it.  Rather, creative overlooking means acknowledging wrong-doing, at least to ourselves, and then thinking of the best response.  My problem is that I don’t always think about the best response.  I simply react.  And reactors—nuclear and human reactors—are always in danger of meltdowns.  Unless someone is about to pull the trigger on a gun, I almost always have time to think about my response.

And of course, there is prayer.  It may need to be short.  (“Help God!” comes to mind as being about the proper length of such prayers.)

God, help us to slow down today. Help us to think about our responses. Help us to make glorious choices about how to respond to wrong-doings today. Deliver us from becoming the same kinds of jerks that offend us.

Yes indeed!

, , , ,

“GOD’S EVER-LOVING PRESENCE”

On July 20, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Before you begin, pause for a moment. Take several slow, deep breaths and allow yourself to grow still. Be aware of God’s loving presence within you.” (“3-Minute Retreat,” for July 18, 2018, published by Loyola Press)

The quote that begins this post is a fairly common type of intro for these 3-Minute retreats—which I heartily recommend.  They are good, quick, and free.

But the fact is that none of us hears anything until our heart and mind are prepared to hear them.  For some reason, the phrase “God’s loving presence” caught my attention today.

Here is the problem, at least, as I see it: I have often believed (often only at a theoretical level) that God is present as the all-powerful, all-knowing Judge.  But as a loving presence—not so much!

What difference does it make to me if I think of God as an ever-present loving presence?

I can’t get my mind around God, but I can think analogically.  And the best analogy at this point is my relationship with my wife.  I am, generally, a better man when my wife is around, period.  I know that she loves me and that I love her.  I am much less likely to say something stupid and mean-spirited when she is around.  I am much less likely to fly into road rage.  I am much less likely to notice (for too long) other lovely ladies.  (And they are all lovely, aren’t they?)

Now, in the deepest possible sense, my wife is always with me.  We are so in love that we have, quite profoundly, become one.  So, in reality, I need to always watch my mouth, my anger, my eyes, since my wife is ever in my heart and on my mind.

But if God is The Loving Presence in my life, I need always to recognize that every situation, every decision, every interaction with others, is surrounded and filled and supercharged with the love of God.

How would that change every situation, every decision, every interaction?  How wouldn’t it?!

Dear readers, I hope you go through this day with a profound and abiding sense of God’s loving presence!  I hope that I do as well!

, , , , , ,
Follow on Feedly