When you drive along rural two lane roads, you often find “obstacles.” These obstacles can come in the shape of farm machinery, cyclists, or in my case this morning, garbage trucks. As I was driving this morning, I saw the garbage truck ahead. As soon as I saw it, I started to look and see where I was going to be able to go around it. Fortunately, it was in an area where I could see ahead, and there were no cars coming.
So, it was rather easy to go around the garbage truck, and it was not frustrating at all.
I continue driving a short distance. I come to a stop sign, and I make a left. As soon as I turn left, guess what I saw? Yep, another garbage truck. OK, so one was likely a garbage truck, and the other one was likely a recycling truck. Those are details that aren’t important. The important part was that there was now another obstacle in my way. I just had this. I thought I was in the clear. Now, to make matters worse, the guy running the garbage truck was out in the clear lane of traffic getting the garbage can.
I confess. I started to become frustrated.
Fortunately, I thought. “Stop it!” Stop getting frustrated. What is the big deal that it might take me a few extra minutes to get where I’m going. Here he is working hard. Did I mention it was raining a little too? Here he is working hard in the rain to help us. I then started to realize how stressful his job is trying to stay out of the way of vehicles all the time.
Soon after this exchange in my head, he took the time to politely wave me by. I don’t always get these types of choices right. I’m thankful today I did, and I’m thankful for the men and women serving me, serving us, in so many ways today.
Blessings, Pastor Matt