There is a joke in Michigan that goes something like this:
Q- “What are the seasons in Michigan?”
A- “Winter and construction.”
And, sadly, it’s almost true. After months and months of grueling cold weather and snowy days, summer finally hits. How excited you are to get out on the open road, the windows down and radio blasting (at a reasonable level, of course, because we all care about our audiological health)! But then….traffic backups! I hit one yesterday on my home.
As I was driving, I saw a sign that said “Left two lanes closed, two miles”. Like any good driver, I immediately got over into the right hand lane. Imagine my bewilderment, then, when cars continued in the left-hand lanes, speeding mightily ahead! They were just going right up as far as they could. I left space between the car in front of me and my own car, allowing for people who were slower on getting over to go ahead and get in the right-hand lane.
As we inched along further, however, I found myself creeping up as close to the bumper of the car in front of me as I could. Hey, parking lot etiquette says you only have to help out ONE other car, and I’d already let FIVE in. And, honestly? I was mad! Why would I help these people when they were only trying to get ahead themselves, leaving the rest of us to idle, sweating and waiting, while they cut in front and went merrily on their way?
And then God got me. Our conversation went something like this:
“Robin? You’re really not going to let these people in? Show them any grace?”
“God! You see them, too, right? They’re only thinking of themselves!”
“Ah, I see. And when Jesus told Peter to forgive those who sin against him seventy times seven times, this does not also apply to you? You cannot extend the same grace to others which I have shown to you?” (Check Jesus’ advice out in Matthew 18:21-22.)
Here, I tried to be clever and weasel my way out of forgiveness and grace. Yes, God, I thought, but let’s say I forgive them once for each meter they continue to drive without getting over; then I’ve already forgiven them probably seventy times seven times, at least! And, much like my high school physics teacher, God saw right through my flimsy, mathematically unsound answer. And, as always, I had to eventually see his infinite wisdom and heed His words.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that… But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then … you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:32-36, minus 34)
So, in that very small way, on a small patch of pavement on I-75, I was able to be merciful to those on whom God has already been relentlessly merciful.
I let the cars in.
