The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing and stopped at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman behind him was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of an earnest police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.
He took her to the police station, where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk, where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake."
The officer continued. "You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, giving the guy in front of you the finger and cursing at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."
The woman thought about her public displays of faith, the principles those symbols stood for, and then thought about her actions.
She looked the officer straight in his eyes, and she extended her
hand.
"Thank you, officer. Lesson learned."
And as she drove away from the police station and eased her way into traffic, she vowed to let her faith drive her behavior in everyday situations. She still sometimes felt road rage and frustration, impatience, and urges to lash out. But she never again embarrassed herself with rude displays of anger.
She prayed instead, and God is pleased.
