Today when I was getting gas at the local station I noticed a truck drive up to the pump across from me. I hate to admit it, but out and about with my truck tends to bring to the surface some of my judgmental attitudes that need to be transformed.

The truck pulled up across from me and stopped at the first pump. It could have continued on to stop at the second pump so a person could pull in behind them. I felt like asking the driver why he didn’t just move another 20 feet so someone could pull in behind him instead of having to drive around him or drive in the other way.

I tried to think of a non-threatening way I could ask him this question. Yet, every time I tried to formulate the question it came out more like a reprimand on his driving abilities than a real question seeking knowledge. Thankfully I held my tongue and just kept asking myself why he parked at the pump the way he did.

He got out of his truck and then walked toward the storefront to either pay for gas or perhaps to get a snack before he continued on his way. I noticed that he stopped about three yards from the door and then it looked like he was reading a sign on the door.

After a few moments he turned away and with a shrug of the shoulders went back to his truck to fill it with gas. I shouted, “So, are they closed?” He said, for some reason the door was closed and he had no idea why. He smiled and we agreed that you never know what is going on when the door is closed, but we were at least able to pump our gas.

I realized this was a much more pleasant exchange than if I had asked him my initial question. there was a sense of camaraderie, an agreement that sometimes we don’t know what is the reason for the closed door.

I don’t think if I had asked him why he didn’t pull further up at the pump we would have had that sense of connection. It would have been more of a confrontation and what good would have come of it. Yet, here we had made a connection of agreement and parted as friends and fellow sojourners in this world that holds many mysteries.

I don’t know his reason for why he pulled up to the pump as he did and actually I didn’t need to know. That was his business and no one was being hurt or oppressed because of his actions.

Sometimes silence can bring a new understanding of what is important and what isn’t. For now I realize that I am not here to judge, but to join with others in the journey we have been given for a life time.

Go in peace and let us learn God’s grace through our two ears and two eyes before we choose to speak with our one voice,

Blessings, Randy