As I was walking the dogs, I noticed a car stopped halfway in a parking spot. At first, I had those dramatic scenes from the television shows flash through my mind. But after I shook all that off, I realized the man was being considerate. He had started to pull into his parking spot, but showed us some courtesy by stopping until the dogs moved along, so as to not frighten them.
When he parked the car, he let me know the reason he waited. Perhaps he read my mind when I was having those television flashbacks. I thanked him for the courtesy. He didn’t know that Max has major anxiety issues. What a blessing to be shown courtesy on our evening walk. At least once a week, Max experiences trauma because others aren’t very courteous.
In Luke, we read about doing to others as you would like them to do to you. We hear this quoted often (some call it the “Golden Rule”), but this is something that we don’t always see in action. Be reminded, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” These are the people who are called children of God. Be considerate. Show courtesy. Treat every person as valuable. Don’t look out for your own best interest and neglect others. Take an interest in them. Desire the best for them.
“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” – Matthew 5:9 [NLT]
“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” – Luke 6:31 [NLT]
“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” – Philippians 2:4 [NLT]
Tania Gutekunst 