For my job I drive about 600-700 miles per week. I’ve done this now for several years and only got one ticket, which wasn’t really my fault. The city had a lot of road construction, they were changing the downtown area from two way to one way streets, and I’m sure I had the right to turn in front of that police office.

But I digress . . .

With all that driving you see a lot of situations. People pulling in front of you when they’re too close, others veering into your lane because they are distracted, some cutting you off or taking the right of way even though they’re in the wrong.

And although I talk on the phone a lot while driving (yes I do use a headset) there are many people who clearly can’t talk and chew gum let alone steer a moving vehicle.

Early on I would often get upset with people when they did something stupid. It wasn’t road rage or profanity, but I did master several ways to let them know what an idiot they were.

One day someone did a rolling stop through a stop sign, barely seeing me as he turn ahead of me into the lane, and as I thought about how foolish he was I remembered I had done something similar just a couple days before.

When I did it, though, it was fully understandable because I was in a new city where I didn’t know the roads and was late to an appointment, or so I rationalized.

I thought back on the situation and recalled hoping for a little grace on the other driver’s part knowing it isn’t the way I normally drive.

Since then when someone makes a driving error near me, instead of being quick to point out their mistake I remember how I have done something similar or imagine what might be going through their mind and give them some grace.

This week I had several opportunities to give “driving grace” to people. I was reminded of the words Jesus said in Matthew 7:12 commonly referred to as the Golden Rule. “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Or, as it is more familiarly quoted, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I remember several years ago thinking, if people are suppose to treat me the way they want to be treated then I can just treat them the same way and it’s okay.

But that’s not how it works.

How do I want to be treated when I arrive later than I said I would?

How much grace do I want when I say something without thinking or unintentionally use words that offend?

When I’m short and snap at someone, what amount of forgiveness, grace and understanding do I desire?

That’s how I should respond to someone else in similar situations.

God has called me to a higher standard. Regardless of how others treat me in any given situation, I must respond to them in the right way, in the way I want to be treated.

That’s what’s on my heart this week.

Mark