One finger or two?

I was determined to run today and woke up to a cold and rainy morning. So I went back on my vow to NEVER run inside again (okay...maybe it wasn't quite that strong but I was afraid it was messing up my ankle so it isn't my ideal running location) and headed to the gym anyway.

Rainy rush hour traffic makes for angry drivers. I thought I was in the clear gettting off the little "highway" onto the cloverleaf but apparently not, because suddenly I heard an angry blast of someone's horn. Interesting how we can speak through that horn and communicate different feelings isn't it? I thought he couldn't mean ME because I hadn't cut anyone off. But the blast came again because I guess I wasn't acknowledging my mistake. So I turned to my left and gave my best "Really? What did I do?" look out the window in his direction and that's when I saw IT. The international signal of "you screwed up and now I'm going to let you know about it." And he was looking right at me and gesturing very clearly (even through the rain). Yuck. I hate that.

But honestly, I didn't think about it much more until I was driving back home (extra cautiously). And then one of the songs I had been listening to popped into my brain, "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath.

Give Me Your Eyes

Looked down from a broken sky

Traced out by the city lights

My world from a mile high

Best seat in the house tonight

Touched down on the cold black top

Hold on for the sudden stop

Breath in the familiar shock

Of confusion and chaos

All those people going somewhere,

Why have I never cared?

Chorus:

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see

Step out on a busy street

See a girl and our eyes meet

Does her best to smile at me

To hide what's underneath

There's a man just to her right

Black suit and a bright red tie

Too ashamed to tell his wife

He's out of work

He's buying time

All those people going somewhere

Why have I never cared?

Chorus

I've been there a million times

A couple of million eyes

Just moving past me by

I swear I never thought that I was wrong

Well I want a second glance

So give me a second chance

To see the way you see the people all along

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OihvG607W-c

[It's a great video] The chorus is a PRAYER! Give me your eyes, God, so that I can see everything that I've been missing...Give me your love for humanity, your arms for the brokenhearted, your heart for the ones forgotten, your eyes so that I can see. For just one second, please.

I prayed that prayer as I drove home and I thought about the guy who was so angry with me this morning. And I wondered what the rest of his day was going to be like, what his morning had already been like, what kind of relationships he has, what job he was on his way to. And I realized that I had NO idea. And until now, I really didn't care.

Well I want a second glance, so give me a second chance to see the people the way you see them all along.

Next time someone gives me "the finger" I'm going to return the gesture with "two fingers"....the peace sign. And then say a prayer and try to see that person as God sees them.

Thank God for second chances!