Today I ran into my neighbor's car.
Let me paint the picture for you: screaming baby in the back, groceries in the rear, and two interviews to get to ASAP. As I tried to park in front of my house, like I always do, I cut the corner too close and ... screech.
My heart rate climbed to an obscene level, and I got out to survey the damage (did I mention my neighbor drives a BMW? Yeah, not really a car you want to mess with). I wasn't sure if I had just scratched the bumper, or if I had been responsible for the other damage on the fender.
Dear Lord.
With my heart in my hands, and my baby in my arms, I went to his house to repent--and I expected anything but what I received. "Don't worry about it," he said. After taking a look at the car, he insisted that the fender damage was already there, and that the scratch on the bumper was no big deal.
I wanted to cry--not because I was happy that I wouldn't have to fork over hundreds for repair bills (I would have done so in a heartbeat), but because of how kind he was to me. Before he even saw the damage, he'd brushed it off and forgiven me. I chatted with he and his wife for a while on the sidewalk, and I kept thinking, there is a lesson here, Sarah--a lesson in forgiveness, and graciousness.
How many times have I made someone feel bad for something silly? How many times have I refused to forgive and held a grudge?
You never expect that hitting a BMW will be a wake-up call, but today, it was mine. Any life lessons in your fender benders?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A lesson in graciousness
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I accidentally ran a stop sign when I was 16 and t-boned a car with a mom and her baby inside. Thankfully the baby was okay and the mom only had a cut on her arm from broken window glass. The mom was so upset with me. I was 16 and more concerned about losing my car at the time. She was a single mom, trying to make ends meet and take care of her daughter. A few months later, I gained perspective on the situation when I saw her driving a brand new car, most likely bought for her by my insurance company. Lesson learned.
Forgiveness has always been an issue for me. My boyfriend is so quick to forgive and I am so quick to hold on, but being with him has really opened up my eyes to what the purpose and power of forgiveness really is, and for that I am really grateful. Not to say, that I don't struggle with it still, but I think I have more perspective and choose my battles more wisely.
Thank God for life lessons no matter how big or small.
I'm sorry you had such a bad morning...it sounds like you live amongst some very nice people! How incredibly nice, and it's nice to read what great lesson you took out of this experience.
Post a Comment