Lots was on my plate last week so when my son and his wife spontaneously invited me on Sunday afternoon to come down to see first grandchild Brightly, I jumped on it! Unfortunately, Sid had to report to jury duty the next day so it was me solo for the three-plus hour drive from Billerica. I threw a few necessities in a bag, hopped in the car and left, arriving there by Sunday evening.

What a glorious visit. Not only did I get to spend great time with Jeremy and Erin, but there is nothing more healing than baby smiles and dimples to put the world in proper perspective. Of course I had to soak up every minute so I didn’t leave until after 10 on Tuesday morning, my deadline being the dance kickboxing class I teach on Tuesdays in Bath, Maine at 6:15, a serious drive from Beacon, New York!

Actually all was going great until a car caught on fire on I-84 in Hartford and the HazMat team came as they closed I-84. Yep, that’s what happened. My GPS immediately rerouted me to take the nearest exit which was about 2 miles ahead. Of course, nothing was moving, including the exit lane. There I sat, patiently, relieved I had built a cushion into the drive but unknown whether enough for a closed interstate. . .

As I slowly inched (literally) toward the exit, two cars drove on the shoulder to get in front of the drivers who had been waiting in the exit lane. You know how this goes. Well, I didn’t do what Jesus would have done. I inched up and did not let them in for I, too, was stressing a bit and worried that two more cars in front equaled about another 20 minute delay at the rate we weren’t going. So the two pushy drivers drove farther ahead and another car let them get ahead of us. I was not happy about this for another hour had gone by as we sat.

Eventually I was in the exit lane enough that I was almost off of the interstate when just at that very moment I-84 opened up! I quickly changed lanes and was at the mercy of a driver on I-84 to let me back on the interstate, which he did.

Abba’s lesson to his daughter was not lost on me. . .

By the driver ahead of me in the exit lane allowing the two “ditchers” in, exactly to the second, enough delay was added that I was not too far off of the interstate when it reopened to be able to change course and get off of the exit ramp. Had they not been allowed in, the drive no doubt would have taken much longer as I would have been on back streets of downtown Hartford during noon rush hour rerouted toward an I-84 entrance north of the closure. With His perfect synchronistic timing, HaShem was showing me that even under stress, I should have acted with kindness and let them in. (Remember last week’s message?) And he drove the point home by putting me at the mercy of another probably equally stressed driver’s kindness showing me how it’s done.

When the going gets tough, the tough make the going worth doing when they are able to do so with kindness.

Shabbat shalom.
Diane