What bugs you?

Does anything bug you? Let me put it this way – Annoy you like a bug? Now I’m not talking about people as such, but it might be someone’s habit that grates on your nerves.

The other day I was driving my husband’s car. It’s bigger than mine and has most buttons in the same places but has its own idiosyncrasies to that particular model. I turned a corner in the road and put on the indicator (flicka, blinker) to indicate that I was turning left. It was a very, very hot day and I had the air conditioner in the car up high, with all the Blowers blowing the air out the vents at the highest setting. I truly don’t know how far I had travelled since that corner but all of a sudden, I was aware that the indicator which normally automatically turns off after you turn the corner was still on.

The words “Oh no!” exploded from my mouth. You may wonder why?

There is one thing, in driving, that bugs me the most and that is people who do not turn their indicators off! When you are following someone in a car, it is so difficult to follow them if they do not indicate which way they are going or if they leave it on the whole time, and again, you do not know which way ahead they will be going… forward, left, right……?

So, when you are the driver, I think it is only polite to indicate correctly when you want to turn etc.

I immediately started offering my apology to all the people driving on the road that I had irritated or affected by my indicator staying on. I also realised that I had not even heard that the indicator switch was still on – you know that tic-tic-tic… due to the air conditioner blowing so strongly and loudly into my ears. I then apologized to God for judging so many over the years with this “sin” when maybe they had not heard it being left on?

Oh, so bad in judging others for something that bugs me. Not giving them the benefit of the doubt, as the saying goes.

Not taking offence as stated in Proverbs:

Those with good sense are slow to anger,

And it is their glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 19:11 NRSV

And in this chapter also:

Fools show their anger at once,

But the prudent ignore an insult.

Proverbs 12:16 NRSV

Well how foolish did I now feel! I should not take offense and also should not judge.

Next time I see an indicator on the road that appears to be accidently left on I will be reminded of my mistake and say a small prayer that God would help the driver not to be as foolish as I was.

What bugs you? Where do you need to not take offense?

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What annoys you in life? Do you get worked up because of it?

Is this an area that you should change so that you don’t take offense? What changes could you make to remain calm?