She had let off the throttle and killed the engine, but she was still careening toward me as I was preparing to help her dock her Seadoo. She was laughing and smiling having had an exhilarating ride around the lake but not yet realizing the impact of her mistake. I had been around watercraft enough to know that this was going to hit the dock pretty hard and give her a jolt, so my wide eyes told her something was wrong. She tried to turn, but with no power jets, she had no control. I tried to cushion the crash by catching it with my feet and legs, but they were no match for the momentum of the water rocket. I had scrapes on the backs of my legs from the dock and my feet hurt from trying to cushion the impact. She just about fell off the saddle as the personal watercraft hit the dock. A part of the bumper strip buckled and the dock was marred, but she continued to laugh as she climbed on the dock and threw the lifejacket at me. I wanted to be upset with this friend from one of our churches, but after some thought, God reminded me of the times I had barreled into a situation or conversation after my brain had already shut down. My words and actions careened into people who were trying to help me and I had no clue the damage I had done to our relationship.
Wise King Solomon says, “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.” (Proverbs 14:16 ESV) Our actions and reactions have consequences. Sometimes we need to be reminded that our best self (our Jesus-self) always handles people with care. We will either use our power and strengths thoughtfully to intentionally bring kindness to people, or we hurt people when we mindlessly charge in like a “bull in a china shop.”
Hang in there people. God is glad to be with us. I’m praying for us all
