Have you ever been ‘flipped the bird’? For those of you who don’t know what ‘flipped the bird’ means, it is when someone shows you their fist (with the middle finger raised).
I get offended when I'm ‘flipped the bird’, and in my past life, I probably ‘flipped the bird’ right back at them. It’s not hard to get ‘flipped the bird’ when you’re driving!
I know I didn’t make it a habit to ‘flip the bird’. When I was a boy, my big brother caught me ‘flipping the bird’ at someone, and he marched over to me and bent my finger back HARD, and told me if he ever caught me ‘flipping the bird’ again, he would break my finder off. He taught me a good lesson!
A few months ago, I was parked in front of Wal-Mart waiting for my wife Jessica. A woman walked up to my car and called me a f#@$% idiot. She told me I was parked in the bus stop area, and pointed to the bus sign. Yes, I shouldn’t have been parked there in the bus parking area, but was it really necessary to cuss me out and flip me the bird as I drove away? My children were in the car with me, and Lauren had a few questions for me as I kindly pulled away from the curb (and the angry woman).
Is it just me? Are we living in different times?
When I lived in New Carlisle several years ago, I was driving down the road minding my own business. As I drove by a youngster riding his bike, he yelled at me some horrible cuss word names – for no reason at all. I stopped the car, stepped out of the car, and confronted this little guy (7 – 10 years old). I asked him where he lived. He nervously told me his address. I told him that he could get beaten up if he continued to call people names, and suggested he never do this again. He nervously agreed to never do this again, but as I was driving away, he called me more cuss words!!!
I am 37 years old, and yes I have witnessed some changes in society. When my parents were little, they probably never cussed anyone 'out' – and they rarely ever talked back to their parents! When I was growing up, we cussed, but made sure our parents wouldn’t find out. Today, I’m afraid little kids not only cuss at adults, but at their own parents as well.
You may be asking yourself this following question. How in the world am I going to connect this to God?
About 40 days ago, I told myself this: each and every time I see a bird fly by, I’m going to pretend that it’s God’s way of saying hello to me, that God is waving at me. Since then, a group of birds have flown over me (each and every day). When they fly over me, I smile, and wave back at them, pretty sure God is waving at me.
One day, I was a little depressed. I thought to myself, it would be really great if God would send me a bird (to wave at me). Just then, one little bird flew across the sky and landed on a telephone pole just up the road from me. As I drove by this little bird, to my surprise, the bird was waving its little wing (yes, God was waving at me). I know this bird was waving at me, because I’ve never seen a bird sit still and flap his wing at the same time – have you?
Two days ago, after work, as I was taking the trash out of the house. When I opened the door, as I stepped out of the house, a flock of geese – in a ‘v’ formation – flew right over my head.
Today at lunch, as I was driving, the biggest group of birds I had ever seen flew directly over my vehicle. Again, I smiled up to Heaven and thanked God for – waving at me :o)
Now, you can say I’m bonkers, but don’t knock it till you try it.
The next time you are on a drive, or walking outside… look up, because I know God will wave at you too.
When God does waves at you, don’t forget to tell Him thanks for flipping you a bird.
God Bless!
In His Hands,
Love, Glen
Please don't use soap to wash kids mouths out. Please use apple cidar vinegar - works nicely - just a little taste will do - a teaspoon full will stop their breathing!