How would Jesus Drive?

One of the areas I probably need the most sanctification is when I am inside my car. Something comes over, or more accurately out of me, that is nothing like my usual demeanor. But is the way I act in the car a more accurate representation of my heart? After all, the car is a safe place to rant and complain - which I did plenty of until I had children. When my youngest daughter yelled, "Move it Dude!" from the backseat I knew I needed to temper my words. They were catching on. But I'm afraid the effect on my heart has been fairly non-existent. I may not say anything out loud but I'm still thinking plenty.

I tend to be a very defensive driver - a result from being forced by my home state to take a defensive driving class before you could get behind the wheel (something that I think would be good for everybody). I leave plenty of room, obey the rules of the road and I use my turn signal - something I think half the drivers in the US don't know how to do (Okay, slipping into a rant...). But because I do endeavor to follow the rules, I get postivively irate with people who don't - they speed, run red lights, stop in the middle of the road because they missed their turn and oh yeah, don't use their turn signal! Add that to the fact that people are often too busy talking on their cell phones to notice that they should go when the light turns green.

I've even spent time thinking of ways to tell people what they should do...like creating hand signals (not THOSE kind of hand signals - like jazz hands to tell people they didn't signal) or a large neon board in the back window where you can type in your message to them - like "You didn't signal!" Should I really be spending my time thinking of these things??

Probably not. Which brings me to my point. How would Jesus drive? If someone cut him off in traffic, He'd probably speak a blessing. If they didn't move when the light turned green, I suppose He would probably wait with patience, marveling at His Father's creation. If someone changed lanes or stopped to turn and didn't signal, He would probably ask His Father to keep them safe and bless them.

I don't drive like Jesus. Maybe if I remembered that everyone in those other cars, no matter how they drive, is precious to God, it would help me. Maybe every time I climb in my car I need to offer up as a sacrifice my own criticalness and judgement. Maybe I need to think of others more highly than myself. Of course, that's what sancitification is all about...becoming more like Jesus in words, in deeds, and in my thoughts. I've got a long way to go:-)