Eventual Left

You know that guy in front of you, with his left turn signal going?

"Wait, he just turned right out of that parking lot. Why is his left signal on?"

*blink, blink, blink*

"Maybe his right one's broken and he was just doing the best he could. It should go off riiigghhttt aboooouuuutttt now."

*blink, blink*

"Hm. Well, he'll hear it clicking in just a second." You tighten your grip on the steering wheel in subconscious agitation. Your palms start sweating and you realize you're gritting your teeth...

*blink, blink, blink*

"TURN YOUR BLINKER OFF ALREADY OR GO LEFT, MAN!"

...OK. So maybe the "eventual left" doesn't bug you as much as it does me. But I got behind that guy on my way home from work tonight and MAN does it bug me!

Of course, that guy doesn't mean to raise my blood pressure. He's not even aware of the fact that he is sending mixed signals (I meant to do that.). Inside the car, he is heading forward, toward his destination. Outside the car, the rest of us are thinking he's gonna turn there. No. Maybe there. No. There. No. He gives the impression that he's turning, when in fact that is (apparently) not his intention at all.

And that got me thinking... How often am I an eventual left?

In my heart, I want to "praise the Lord at all times." In my countenance, the busted radiator hose spewing antifreeze out of my truck irreparably damages my day.

In my heart, I strive to be compassionate. In my communicating, I don't hear what my mother is saying because I'm already whining about my terrible day before she even finishes her thought.

In my heart, I long to be selfless. In my actions, everything I do, say, think, intend, plan, contemplate is centered around how it benefits Numero Uno. Or would it be "Numera Una" in my case? I digress...

My intention is to live as Christlike as possible. To serve others. To help people. To be a willing vessel that He can use in whatever capacity He chooses. And to do it all with a good attitude. But sometimes, maybe even most times, the impression I give is entirely different.

Thank God for that little nudge, that voice that says, "You're blinker's on. You look pretty stupid right now cuz you're saying you're turning, but you're not planning on it. Might wanna turn that off." (Hey, the Holy Spirit communicates in ways I can understand, ok? Hehe.)

What about you? Have you ever found yourself driving with your blinker on?