"Be a Courteous Driver"

Motorways have digital signs which display messages like: “Warning: Heavy Rain Forecast”. When there aren’t any immediate problems, they put up signs like “Always wear your seatbelt” or “Don’t drink and drive”. But the one I like best is “Be a courteous driver”.

People, I find, are generally courteous, and I appreciate it. It is most helpful when I get in the wrong lane and people courteously allow me to switch. Or when I am pulling out into traffic, a courteous driver pulls back to let me in. I make a point of giving a thank you wave.

When a bus wants to move out and you allow it to do so, the driver usually says thanks by a couple of flashes on his emergency lights. It is good to be courteous and good to show appreciation of courtesy.

Just as Christmas is not just for Christmas but for all the year round, so courtesy is not just for roads but everywhere else. I was reminded of this last Wednesday when we went Christmas shopping. The supermarket was packed with shoppers and trolleys, and we had to drive our trolley with courtesy!

Courtesy is a Christian virtue: a condensation of those qualities described in Galatians 5:22-23 as the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
It is a way of showing love and consideration to others even if they make silly mistakes; indeed, especially if they make silly mistakes; and as the saying goes “Practice makes perfect”.

Perhaps they should put that up on the motorway signs also!

Have a Happy and Courteous New Year!

I.McH
blog comments powered by Disqus

We use cookies, just to track visits to our website. We store no personal details. What are cookies?