Grace Found a Parking Place

 

 

Grace Found a Parking Place

 

He leaped out of still running car and with his arms waving angrily in the air he shouted at my friend. He was fuming mad saying she had just taken his parking space.

 “How could you be so simple minded and selfish not to notice me parked around the corner waiting for this spot?”

 My first thought was, how could she have even seen him around the opposite corner from us in this high rise very busy parking garage?  Neither of us had honestly seen him waiting there.

 

“But you O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Psalm 86:15 NIV

 

My friend didn’t say a word but remained very still with her full attention on the angry man. My own anger started to rise in defense of her, but I followed her example. I trusted this kind hearted woman who loved and walked in the Lord. I felt this man’s anger was so unjustified.

The man was elderly and visibly shaking all over. To my amazement he got very quiet, dropped his arms to his side and said, “I’m sorry, but it’s urgent I find a parking place for my wife needs to get to this doctor appointment and we’ve been horribly delayed by Seattle traffic.”

My friend smiled and said she understood. She waved with a smile, backed out of the parking space and we saw him waving back in a thank you.

Now, I thought, it’s going to be a long and tedious effort to find a space in this busy garage.

The car began to circle left to go up the ramp for parking when I called out, “Stop!”

My friend hit the brakes just in time as someone to our right was backing out of their space. With ease we pulled into the most perfect parking spot in the whole garage- right next to the elevators!  

This parking space was made in heaven. “God is good!” we exclaimed in happy unison.

The closer we walk with God the more we see the beauty of His character and the wisdom of His Word to trust in His ways and not our own.

What a lesson for me that day in compassion and patience. God will bless both. Grace found us, and a man in great need, a parking place that day.

 

“I pray for the patience to endure times of trial, to keep anticipating, keep hoping, keep believing. I pray for patience to be patient.” Philip Yancey

 

“Grace Found a Parking Place” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© February 21, 2014