Take a breath, and remember to smile.

I’ve recently had one of those annoying car journeys.

I wanted to go down a road, but there was a road closure and a diversion was in place. “Oh, I don’t want this!” was my first thought.
Then the thought, “Don’t let a diversion rob you of your peace.” came to my mind.

OK, it’s only a little diversion, and I do actually know where to go.
Take a breath, and remember to smile.

As I carried on, silly little obstacles, just seemed to be being put right in front of me, along with the thought, “Don’t let silly obstacles rob you of your peace.”

“OK Lord. I’m trying to, but can you help me to remain calm.”
Take another breath, and remember to smile.

As I continued on my journey, I could then see a van driver coming up behind me at pace. I think that the general distance between my bumper and his was about two inches or there about. (No I didn’t stop and measure it properly. 🙂 )
And the same thought again, “Don’t let other people rob you of your peace.”
Yet another deep breath, and again remember to try to smile.

I carry on and the traffic up ahead is going a bit on the slow side. (Still trying to smile.)
There’s a learner in front of the slow moving traffic.

Slowly all the cars between me and the learner turn off, and I’m left with the slow learner in front of me and the angry van driver behind me. (I’m not making this up, honestly.)

I wanted to pull over and just let the van driver go past me. But then that would be subjecting the inexperienced learner driver to the angry van driver.
“Oh Lord, are You just playing around with me now?”
I can’t help, but to keep smiling at this now, do I need to remember to keep breathing evenly instead now? 🙂

We finally come to a part of road where it goes into two lanes at the traffic lights.
The learner goes through on the green, I’m in the left lane stopping for the red light. The van goes past me on the right side (at pace), jumps the red light (that I stop at), and then it seems to me that he just misses the learner as he pulls to the left of said leaner and speeds off down the road.
Where’s a policeman when you want one?

I’m just so thankful that the van is finally gone.
Still just trying to just breath and smile.

As I get past the lights, there is a van (I’m assuming the same one) in a bit of a funny position, still trying to push its way past everyone else.
Then it is truly gone. Phew.

What a different journey it would have been without all those small quiet still thoughts of “Don’t let …… rob you of your peace.” ???

I don’t know that I’m fully peaceful about it all, but at least I can laugh about it. 🙂
For once I haven’t gone to my position of, “AAAHHHHH!!!!!”

Lord, PLEASE tell me I’ve learnt this lesson now.
Can You please stop sending all the silly drivers all my way. 🙂

As I’m looking back at all this, I’m thinking, “How many times do we let ….. just rob us of our peace?”
Can we do better?
Could we remember to just try to take a breath and smile when things just go a bit wrong, and then endeavour to remain in a peaceful state of mind?