Not really much on confronting people, I often used to simply talk about them behind their backs. That’s not a great thing to do, and isn’t it gossip? Is gossip right conduct? No. But what’s there to do if I’m offended by someone’s actions? I’m still not much on confrontation. Lot of questions.
The other day, I wasn’t exactly in a good mood. It was hot and humid. My ankle that’s worse than the rest of my body with arthritis, was really paining me. I needed to stop at the grocery store for only one or two items. When I pulled in I drove down the one-way parking lane and went to pull into a space that is close to the store, but not reserved for placarded handicapped drivers. A young girl with her mother pulled through the opposing space and into the space I was going to take. I motioned that I wanted her to back up. She ignored me and continued to the end and stopped. I rolled down my window. She did also. I said that this lane was one-way. She shrugged her shoulders. “So what!” gesture.
“When I taught my kids to drive,” I said to her, “I told them to consider the line like a wall and not drive across, not to drive the wrong way down one-way lanes.”
Her salute followed, with her middle finger. Her mother said nothing.
That’s the way it is in the area in which I live. Rudeness abounds.
Yet, I was buying into their rudeness. I wasn’t raised to confront people even if I was wronged. I was raised just to let jerks be jerks, and move on.
The girl and her mother headed into the store. I drove around to the other parking lane, found a spot and parked—quite a ways from the store, thank you very much. I didn’t see the two in the store. I wanted to, though. I wasn’t over being a jerk.
“Your mother must be quite proud of you,” I wanted to say, “you learned sign language very well.” Seems rude. Seems snotty. Oh, well. . . So much for living a life of right conduct.
Right conduct is our responsibility. Hosea 5:1.
Not living a life of right conduct is what got Israel in trouble with the LORD a while ago, when Hosea was prophesying.
Confronting someone in a parking lot because I disagree with how she drives, how she parks, isn’t exactly right conduct. My attempt to scold a jerk just makes me like a jerk. I’m too old to act like jerk. I’m suppose to be the adult. A Jesus-following, Bible-reading Christian adult.
It’s a shame, really, that we can’t just be considerate of one another. We don’t need rules to tell us how to behave; those are things we learned, supposedly, in kindergarten.
“But everyone is acting out these days,” I might say. So am I going to add to the chaos?
I want to live a life of right conduct. The Bible teaches right conduct. I should know what right conduct is by my age. There’s a time to confront people. That day wasn’t the day; those people weren’t the people.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1,2.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
JonahzSong 