Until I stopped to check the air pressure in my car's tires.
While filling up the front (and final) tire on the driver's side, I suddenly felt a sharp nudge on my left side.
I turned to find that a pick-up truck was backing into me.
So I dropped the air pressure hose, yelling out "Stop! Stop!! Stop!!!" and when the truck continued to pin me next to my car, started to slap its backside.
Thankfully, the driver applied the brakes. He had been backing up at a very slow pace. But even that was enough to cause pain in my left hip where the truck eventually came to rest.
Once the truck stopped I stood up and walked to him.
"You could have run me over!" I said, emphatically. At this point unfettered adrenalin was coursing through my veins.
In response he (a very senior male) just looked at me a few seconds. I repeated the statement. To which he replied, "I didn't see you."
I repeated my opening statement. And he looked at me and apologized.
At this point, I was dumbfounded at his calm demeanor. Enough so that it totally disarmed me.
"Well, please drive straight ahead," I said. Hoping to keep him from backing into my car. "And please be careful."
"I will," he said and slowly went forward. Leaving me to finish putting air into that final tire.
I completed the task at hand, while dealing with the post-adrenalin after-rush. Thinking, "I can't believe what just happened! I just can't believe it! That guy almost crushed me. If I hadn't of shouted, he easily could have pinned me between his truck and my car!"
Yes, it definitely could have ended up much, much worse.
But this morning, as I'm writing this, the primary sense of fear - of eminent danger - has been replaced with gratitude.
I'm grateful that there were no injuries. Both for myself and the elderly gentlemen.
I'm grateful for God's protection - for I do believe in it.
And, this is almost the biggest take-away from the experience, I'm grateful for the gentlemen driver's even-tempered disposition.
Because it was his calmness that served as the antidote to my adrenalin.
On any given day we're exposed to more than a fair share of stress and not-so-good examples of how to handle it.
Just last week while spending time with a friend in a coffee shop I admitted to feeling angry at so many things that are happening in the US right now, in regards to issues of social justice.
But, while the anger may be justified, there's the call to handle anger properly. Psalm 4:4 says "Don't sin by letting your anger control you." (NLT).
Paul in writing the book of Ephesians rounds it out, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander... Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another..." (Eph. 4:31)
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| Nelson Mandela |
On the other hand, unbridled anger can lead to resentment and bitterness. In the words of Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison as a political prisoner: "As I walked out the door toward the [prison] gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew that if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison."
Perhaps the first step to handling anger (outside of a response to social injustice) may well come from taking a moment to see why we are angry in the first place. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, has pointed out that anger most often is caused by hurt, frustration or fear.
I tend to agree. Meanwhile, I'm really grateful for the example of that gentleman driver who accidentally hit me.
Photo credits: mindful.org; dublincounsellors.ie
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