Road Rage at Popeye's!

Ok. So I drove just a leeeeeeeeetttle bit recklessly today. I didn't mean to. I was just coming back from the doctor (my 10 millionth trip for my family in the last 2 weeks), had my son in the car, and had to turn in at the last minute to go through the drive thru. (Because sick mommies don't cook.) :)

We are about to order whatever it is Jordan wants before his ballgame and this motorcycle comes pulling up beside us.

I ignore it.

But Jordan thinks it is one of our motorcycle guys from the church.

NOT!

Jordan rolls down the window.

And the next few minutes for me were like~ surreal.
A blur of abstract memory.

I hear,
"Great driving, STUPID!!!!"

I next hear my son,
"You calling MY MOM STUPID! No one calls MY MOM STUPID!!!"

Then, the aging gentlemen, proceeds to get off his bike, and starts walking toward my baby boy(who is 6'1" ~ almost 6'2" and weighs almost 180) asking him - "You want some of this?!!"

Then, a mother's WORST, might I repeat - W O R S T - nightmare happened~
my son starts to open the door!

I hear him say something like~
"You Bet! NO ONE CALLS MY MOM STUPID!!!!!"



Oh.
my.
Word!

Do you know the horror I felt at that moment?
Was this guy on drugs?
Or was he so old, he was still tripping from the 60's?
Was he one of these guys that was on his way to have a shoot 'em up at the post office, but decided to take his holiday depression out on us?

Oh.
my.
Word!

All I knew was that my son was reaching for the door!
Of all things,
to protect his mother's honor!!!!

Say it with me~
a mother's WORST nightmare!

An ice cold chill ran thru my veins.
I murmured a prayer~ "in the Name of Jesus!"



There was a static from the intercom.

"Ma'am. Order when you're ready."

The Popeye's people!!!!

I manage to gather my coherency.
"Uhmmmm. Yes!!! Can you please call the police! There is a man out here trying to pick a fight with my son! He is coming towards our car!!!!"

Static.
"Yes ma'am! We are calling them right now!"

In the mean time, the deranged gentleman was still making threatening motions and antagonizing my son to get out of the car!

I grabbed my son's arm and in that firm First name, middle name, last name tone said,
"You are NOT getting out of this car! It is not worth it!"

I finally had the sense to lock the doors and pull off!
(I know ~ you are thinking "What on earth took you so long!" but I promise ~ this all happened in like 5 seconds!)

When I pulled around by the actual drive-thru window, all of the Popeye's employees were hanging their heads out of the window to see the action. (Well, I guess three. :0) ) And the manager was on the phone with the police.

They wanted a description of the man.
I rolled my window down, and said, "An old white man!" The employees craned a little further to see him.

I said, "Well, here he comes!"

And then, he starts in again! But it is not so much at me, but on my son.

See, remember why he first pulled in?
I drove foolishly. (Yes, I did. I admit it.)
He wanted to make sure that I knew he thought I was STUPID.

But somewhere along the way, he became a bully to a 15 year old young man.

Long story short.
We drove away. I assume the man left. My husband went back up there a few minutes later (My son inherited his father's chivalry). The police didn't come because we all left. .... blah blah blah.....

Went home and have retold the story a hundred times since. :0)

But my point in blogging this today is :

Today my son got a glimpse of the sickness of this world.
He, in his chivalry, was willing to fight for the honor of his mom.
He, in his youth, did not stop to think about the consequences his chivalry could cost him.

I was proud of my son for "wanting" to "protect" my honor.
I was scared for my son.

He was sooooo angry.
But he, (my son) did not sin in his anger.

Real life is like that.
We can't make everything right.
We can't make evil people good by force.
We can't make them see things our way.

They have to choose that on their own.

That gentlemen was a class A jerk.
Road Rage.

Senseless.
Violent.
Lack of self-control.

Today was a lesson my son will not soon forget.
We talked about all kinds of stuff this afternoon.
What do you do if....
What about this.....

Driving (very carefully) to my son's basketball game tonight, I prayed for Mr. Road Rage.
I asked God to forgive me for driving foolishly.
I asked God to somehow touch that man's heart with his love.
I asked God to help me forgive him.
I asked God to help my son learn the life's lessons he needs from Mr. Road Rage.

Road Rage at Popeye's!
Who would have thought?

Psalm 25:2-3 (My favorite passage of scripture~ now more than ever!)
In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

blessings to each of you!
dorinda