Worship Interrupted

I realize that I am not the most patient driver. I could never be accused of going too slow, but there is a phenomenon that really irks me and I can't for the life of me figure it out.

I live in Texas, and it is legal to pull over on an improved shoulder to allow traffic to pass you if you choose to go slower than the flow. Most people fall into two categories:

1. They see you coming up behind them, and refuse to pull over and let you pass strictly on principle. They see no reason why you should need to drive any faster than they are, and of you want to get around them, you are going to have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear so you can pass at your own risk. I can respect that. It irritates me (especially when they aren't even going the speed limit), but I can appreciate it. At least you know what you're dealing with.


2. They see you coming up behind them, and pull over on the shoulder allowing you to pass without ever having to slow down. I like this category better for obvious reasons.

However, there is a small percentage of the population that does both, and it irritates the ever living snot out of me! They see you coming up behind them and carry on smartly at the speed they have chosen. After about 10 minutes of waiting for oncoming traffic to clear enough so that you can pass, you make your move. You put your blinker on, you pull over to the left and begin to accelerate and lo, and behold, they suddenly decide to be polite and pull over onto the shoulder! To this I ask, "What's the stinkin' point???!!!!!" I've already been driving 55 in a 65 for ten minutes waiting for an opportunity to get around them. Why, all of the sudden, do they feel the urge to pull out of the way?

Are they are mocking me.? They were perfectly capable of pulling over miles back, but just didn't. Why????? Can anyone tell me why???? I don't buy the "excuse" that they probably didn't see me. If you have gone 10 minutes without even glancing in your rear view mirror, then perhaps a driving refresher course is in order.

It also puts a wrinkle in my worship time when I have to stop singing "How Great is Our God" at the top of my lungs to sigh heavily and think mean thoughts about the driver in front of me. I can't seem to help it, and then I feel really guilty about praising God with one breath and cursing (in my head) the driver with the next. It brings to mind James 3:8-10:

But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way.

It shouldn't be this way, but my brain works much faster than my heart. At least I don't utter the thoughts I am having, aside from a frustrated "Oh come on!" I guess I need to turn the music up just a little louder.....