There are so many examples in a given day that characterize rudeness. You know all those irritating things that OTHER people do! 😉 We’ve all seen them from time to time and regrettably, may have even been guilty of some, not knowingly of course. The Driver’s Rudeness that communicates a “me-first” attitude: pulling out in front of another vehicle, cutting them off, running a red light, or not stopping at a stop sign, just to name a few. What about the Shopper’s Rudeness: the shopper who leaves their shopping cart right in the middle of the isle preventing you from getting around, the shopper who shoots out of an isle with their cart almost running you over or maybe they do run you over, or how about the shopper in the freezer section of the grocery store who refuses to make up their mind and get out of the cooler door you are needing????

So today as I witnessed an act of rudeness my mouth instantly dropped exposing my very thought of the inconsiderate behavior! Upon entering a certain store and waiting my turn to take a shopping cart, I watched as a woman, talking on her cell phone, proceeds to pull two shopping carts apart shoving the extra one ahead of her own and into the path of a customer ready to enter the store. The woman gives a sideways apology but precedes to enter the store as she continues to speak on her cell while the gentlemen, with a smiling nod, graciously deals with the extra cart in front of his own. Moving it aside, he maneuvers through the store doors.

Then the alarming truth hit me square in the head: We exhibit rudeness or kindness by our actions AND by our responses.  What is more, the Lord magnified what the gentlemen did in response to the rudeness of the woman. The gentlemen, who showed such grace, could have been rude right back. And I realized, again, if I had been on the receiving end of her rudeness, I wouldn’t have given the grace the gentlemen had so kindly imparted.

Thank you, Lord, for those who display your truths and share grace with the rudeness of the world.

Love is kind! 1 Corinthians 13