Jumping to Conclusions

How often do we jump to a conclusion because a situation does not seem to go our way? Before the holidays got into full swing, I went to the Galleria on a Saturday afternoon (bad decision). There is one garage I use because I can always find a spot; however, this was a Saturday afternoon. As I drove up and down the rows of parked cars, all I could think of was the words uttered by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she goes back into the upscale Rodeo Drive boutique with her hands full of shopping bags and tells the sales ladies who had not assisted her, “Mistake, big mistake!”.

As I was driving down the main lane, a car in the intersecting row had its left blinker on and wanted to pull into the main lane to go in the opposite direction. I motioned for the car to turn in front of me and go left – ha! The driver turned right, pulling in front of my car, which meant if there was a parking space coming up, this car was going to get it first! Unholy words were creeping into my head until I finally looked ahead and saw a car that looked like it was ready to pull out. There were two to three cars still in front of my car who could pull into the spot. I watched in amazement as the cars in front continued past this parking spot allowing me to pull in, run my errand and leave the Galleria parking fray rather quickly, vowing not to go back for another year!

I jumped to the conclusion that I would lose a parking spot because I allowed a car to pull in front of me when this car worked to my advantage because it allowed more time for a spot to open. Proverbs 18:13 addresses the futility of jumping to conclusions: “If one gives an answer before hearing, it is folly and shame.” I thought about this in relation to my parking adventure; while I did not give a frustrating response to another person, I did have unpleasant thoughts run through my head, which was foolish since I found a parking spot quickly. I allowed myself to decide the outcome of a situation before I even thought about all the factors that could give a different result! The beginning of a new year is always a motivator to change a habit; I will make a huge effort to think before reacting to a situation and I will also not go to the Galleria on a Saturday afternoon during the holidays!