My 8-year-old daughter has been involved in a great day camp this summer. Most of the other kids are even allowed to use school buses to go there. Not Katie. She has a seizure disorder, and no nurse could be found to help us out this summer and ride with her. So, each and every day, I drive the 11.4 mile round trip twice a day to provide her transportation. The experience is worth it. The road I have to take to get there is just plain irritating.
Don't get me wrong, the road is in pretty good shape, especially compared to the ones I used to drive in New Orleans! It isn't exactly the road at all. It's the other drivers. This road, in my neck of the woods called New Middletown, has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour, and is mostly one lane in both directions. Somewhere along the way, I think someone must have decided that speed limits in New York are more like speed "guidelines". And I have to give them this: in all my travels on this stretch of road, I have NEVER seen anyone pulled over for speeding. But does that really make it okay?
I am NOT a perfect driver. I occasionally do the wrong thing. Like my mother before me, I tend to have a lead foot. Consequently, I am more cautious about things like speed when I drive. And all of you that think it's okay to crawl up my tail pipe? I will probably go even slower. I figure it this way: if you hit me from that close behind me, I want to pick which speed you are going, not let you do it . . .
So, what does this all have to do with anything? Today, as I was (as usual) going the speed limit along this road, the woman behind me decided that 35 was not fast enough, that not only would she crawl up my tail pipe (which made me slow back down to 30), she then proceeded to pass me in the turn lane and turn and give me that dirty look like I was the one breaking the law. Of course, in pulling up to the next stop light, there she was right in front me. Phew. What a relief that she reached that same stop light 10 seconds faster than me.
It really made me stop and think about my Christian walk. Just because no friendly Clarkstown police officer is there to pull her over for doing the wrong thing - did she really think that was okay? As a Christian do I let those "polite" sins go in my life because no one knows I did them? Do I really think THAT is okay? Do you?
I mean, I haven't murdered anyone (well, besides that whole wishing them dead possibly), nor have I ever committed adultery (but have I ever looked at someone and thought about it?), nor have I stolen anything (except maybe the occasional office supply?). Doesn't that make me okay? Wow. It sure can be a slippery slope. I can certainly attest to the fact that I have caught myself going too fast in a slower zone, even if it wasn't this week, last week or 3 months ago. In case you hadn't noticed, lady in the red SUV, that is breaking the law.
I suppose all of that ranting and raving was about saying this: Jesus calls us to a higher standard. Ouch. Now, according to the Scriptures, not just breaking the law is a sin, but considering it, or wishing someone harm is also sinful. How often do we go there, and feel absolutely no remorse? I once heard someone ask the question that if being a Christian became illegal, would anyone be able to accuse you in a court of law? Would you be acquitted or indicted? Our life is more than about breaking or keeping rules, certainly. Certainly there are many things to be concerned about, but just for today, perhaps our personal integrity deserves an honest review.
And lady in the red SUV - you are forgiven. Not just because I vented my spleen, nor because I am better than you, but because being bitter towards you comes at a great cost. If Jesus can die for me, then I should be able to forgive you too, even if no one even knows I am angry at you. It's not total personal integrity, but it's where I can start right now.
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