I looked up the word "Grace" on my Thesaurus today and this is what I read....a disposition to show kindness.
This reminded me of a story a friend of mine related to me this week about her experience in the coffee shop drive through line up. She uses these few minutes in the line up to apply her make up and she did so this particular morning as well. I guess she didn't see the car ahead of her pull away and didn't proceed forward immediately, apparently causing the woman in the car behind her great anxiety. She became so anxious in fact that she shouted at my friend "It's not going to do you any good anyway!" My immediate response to her story was outrage that any woman could say something like that to another woman, and then outrage that someone as nice as my friend would have to endure that kind of rude behavior! If anyone oozes grace, it would have to be this friend.
It made me think and wonder what I would have done. Said. I thought about all the drivers that day that I regarded as nuisances on the road by driving too slow, too fast, in my way, not driving they way I felt they should drive and I thought about my reaction to them and the thoughts I entertained about them. It was not good. I'm afraid most of the time my disposition to show kindness is limited to people who are nice to me. I'm afraid that way too often I make assumptions about people's motives that I have no business making. After all, these people are total strangers to me. How could I possibly presume to know their motives.
I've been thinking a lot about this lately which reminded me of a saying that has been popular for many years and has appeared on keychains, clothes, mugs and a whole host of gadgets. Often only the first letter of each word is used.....WWJD....meaning "What Would Jesus Do"? I don't own anything with those letters or words but it has been on my mind lately and the last two weeks I've tried to remind myself when I get irritated or impatient with people to consider WWJD? It's been a real eye opener for me and a way of helping me reconsider before I make up my mind about total strangers.
Who knows, I may just develop a disposition to show kindness like my friend, smile, wave and pay for the lady's coffee just like she did!
1 comment:
It sounds like you have had a similar revelation to me these days! Presuming to know what another person is thinking or feeling is a dangerous line to walk and yet we all do it. If you`re anything like me, you`ll be very surprised at what comes out of showing kindness when you really don`t feel like it. I`ve seen some pretty amazing conversations come out of situations like that!
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