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I hate Mean People
I mean this is the most loving, Christian way I can say it and still be telling the truth. Which means, it is not a very Christian thing to say and that I recognize that. But it is true.
Vacation Bible School is this week and my three children are in attendance. As mentioned in earlier posts, my family has been through some massive adjustments and dramas as my DH was in a near deadly accident that put him, temporarily, into a wheelchair. Daddy, loving the fact that he is alive, is very adamant about not staying home and riding with me to take the children to church and to go with me to pick them up as well.
Apparently different people attend Vacation Bible School than attend regular church. (Note to self as I continue as a newbie church goer.)
On the first morning, there was a sense of excitement in the air and anticipation of what was going to happen. It was my DD's first VBS, and the twins' Second. It was also our families first experience with this church's VBS. That morning went well. I was so excited to be in such a good church with such nice people!
This did not last......
When it came time to return to retrieve the children we could not park in the handicap parking because someone with a very large king cab truck had "Slipped" in over BOTH handicapped parking spaces. I hate when people do that. I pulled up behind the truck and got out of the vehicle to go ask who the truck belonged to. Apparently, this is a mistake.
When I got to the door and asked the first man I saw, who was standing talking to a woman, he replied that it was his. As if nothing was the matter and why was I bothering him. I told him that we needed to get in and he gestured to an empty parking space and said, "Why don't you just park THERE!"
Taken aback at being spoken to on the steps of God's house, I replied that proximity to the door was NOT the issue, being able to swing the doors wide enough for the wheelchair was the priority, so please move. I refused and laughed at my predicament. I felt my heart turn cold, like when you are suddenly afraid.
I returned to my van and pulled it over to the side.
I asked anyone if there was any form of security here, and they did not know what to do. I explained that this man, standing right outside the door, with a truck full of kids, mind you, refuses to move his truck and is actually being a jerk about it. The leader lady walked outside and asked him to move. To which he got in his truck, put it in reverse and rolled back into a space behind where he was parked, leaving the truck sticking out half-way and running, still full of kids. Then, returning to the stoop to finish his important conversation.
Unbelievable.
The lady who told him to move, came in to apologize and to say that she knew we were new and that most people at that church are not like that. I expressed that I did not feel she needed to apologize and that it is just VBS people. No way this guy goes to the small church. I went home, thinking, "What a jerk! How sorry is HIS life?" Never thinking any more about it.
This morning, I was forced to.
We got there a little early and got hubby out of the van. Before we could get into the door, HE was back, pulled into the handicapped space right next to us. I had turned back to look, because his load huge diesel engine made me look back. He was getting out of his truck, looking right at me, laughing. I'm not exaggerating, when I say I was scared of him. I got hubby into the building and just stood on the other side of the crowd from him. He stood their doing this juvenile laughing at me dance, as I turned to the leader lady asking her what's to be done. She simply said, "I'll talk to him if he does it again."
I suddenly felt really alone. I took down his license plate number and called the police. Not because of the parking space, but because he was doing it to be mean, simple reason. Arrogance, rudeness, meanness. And now he was doing it to make me mad. I hate mean people. So, in my mind, that was it, he soooo deserved the ticket.
"NOPE!" Said the police! "We cannot enforce it because there is no "$200 Fine" section to the parking sign." WHAT???????
So, when we returned to get our children, we parked in the back. WE had to make the adjustment, not him. We just have to TAKE it, not him.
But when I got home I cried.
I cried at my rage.
I cried at allowing someone to enrage me for "Nothing".
I cried for the feeling of being bullied.
I cried to let it out.
Then, I calmed down, with the help of my DH and the help of prayer.
And we prayed for strength against others who would push our buttons.
We prayed for peace in the face of bullies.
Then, we prayed for that man and his family that they might hear the word of God call his name and humble him. Because how sad is his life, how many people must be beating him down that he has to pick on the handicapped?
I hate mean people.
Then, I pray for them.
Please pray for that man.
