Life is short. We have to make the most out of the time that we have. We are faced with situations beyond our control on a daily basis. How do you maintain your peace in times like these? How important to you is it that you maintain a level of peace in your life? When faced with an uncomfortable situation, would you rather be right and prove a point or walk away from a potentially volatile situation with your peace intact?
Is It better sometimes to say it isn’t worth it and walk away than to stay and prove a point to a person or group of people who have not been important to you? Imagine the amount of stress and anxiety we could avoid on a daily basis if we could adopt an It Ain’t Worth it Mentality.
I had one of those potentially volatile situations today, but before I tell you about the instant, I have to tell you that I have been giving a great amount of thought to how many times in the run of a day I find myself feeling anxious and annoyed with circumstances which are out of my control. I believe God orchestrated this event to bring this to my attention.
I left my doctor’s appointment and decided to go by the gas station. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed lines going in both directions, trying to get to the pumps. To make matters worse, an 18-wheeler is blocking traffic at the edge of the lot. I can feel the anxiety and frustration building. I pull in behind a car. After a few minutes, I noticed that the driver was not trying to pull up to the pump. Well, I decided I’d just go around the car. No, she wasn’t going to allow that. She pulls forward. My anger and frustration are boiling at this moment. Finally, I make my way around the car. I weave through the long lines of cars. I park behind a white SUV. My gas tank is on the driver’s side of my car. The gas tank of the SUV is on the passenger side. So, she decides to turn the car around and back her way into the pump. By now, I’m furious; all she had to do was get in a lane that accommodates her darn vehicle. Now, the driver of the SUV is facing me, and another car has pulled in behind her, not seeing that I am in front of the SUV. I can’t take this nonsense any longer. By now, I’m waving my fist at an invisible assailant. Doesn’t she know I have been waiting 20 minutes to get to the pump? Well, this is not happening on my watch. My hand is on the door handle, and I’m about to jump out of the car and tell the driver behind the SUV that I’m next. When I hear a still, small voice whisper in my ear, Is It Worth It? To say I stopped dead in my tracks would be an understatement.
In times like these, God reminds us of the more important things in our lives, like peace of mind. As I stated earlier, I was in a doctor’s appointment. My physician told me that she was concerned about my rising blood pressure. Was getting to the gas pump first worth the anxiety and energy I was expending on this situation? No, of course not. I calmly backed my car up, turned around, drove half a block down the street to the next gas station, which wasn’t crowded, and pumped my gas. Yes, the gas was a few more pennies, but maintaining my peace is worth it.
The moral of the story: Let it go; if it’s not a life-threatening situation, make the decision to do what is best for you. You don’t have anything to prove to anybody but yourself. In the long run, you are the only one that matters.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
