A Lesson in GRACE

Circa: Way Back When- I was 25 years old.
Setting: My wife and I were looking for a parking space at the Santa Ana Court House- found one and was just waiting for the car to back out.
Parties Involved: The Innocent Interloper, my wife, & I.

This is a story that happened decades ago but made an indelible impression on me and my wife. It was a typical scenario where you are aggressively hunting for a parking space, suddenly find one, and patiently wait (with your turn signals on) for a driver to back out of their parking stall. Just when they leave and you’re about to press the gas to go forward, another car swooooooops (out of nowhere) in the targeted stall!

Totally taken off guard, I looked at my wife and we both were FUMING at the other driver’s AUDACITY! Being young and full of myself, I rolled down the window and shouted some choice words at the man exiting his car. Little did I know I was about to get an education in GRACE…

The man turned out to be an older gentleman who looked genuinely surprised at my righteous indignation…..What he said to me afterwards, instantly took the wind out of my sails- let’s just say… for the rest of my life.

It wasn’t exactly WHAT he said, but HOW he said it.  He simply said with the utmost kindest sincerity, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. You can have the spot.”  Then, he immediately opened his driver’s door TO GET BACK IN.

My SOUL straightaway blushed with SHAME, and I defensively hollered out, “That’s OK!”

Afterwards, with my tail between my legs, I drove off trying to clear my head from what just transpired.   It was like he held up a mirror in front of my face, and I saw just how ugly I was. Suddenly, finding a spot in the parking lot didn’t matter anymore…The outrage disappeared. What I felt inside- turned my stomach UPSIDE down!

FAST FORWARD:
After finding a parking spot, I was compelled to leave an apology note on the man’s car, thanking him for his example of GRACE.

P.S.
Ever since that incident, I don’t fight over parking spots, and I don’t road-rage over  someone cutting me off….No, I want to be like HIM, the Innocent Interloper. I want that dignity, that peaceful spirit, and that elevated countenance. On that day, his MILD WORDS melted away MY RAGE and caused me to ‘Look in the Mirror’, and I didn’t like what I saw. Proverbs 15:1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

B.P.S.
Submitted for your approval, a small but humbling courtesy lesson in GRACE, I learned from the Campus of…The Lookout Post.