Drive Through (or Not)

Drive Through (or Not)

If you are young in the faith, and if the epic fail of one who is not young in the faith would in any way rock your world, stop reading now. Because this is not going to be pretty.

I drove through a fast-food establishment to get a cold drink, talked to the box, then pulled around the building to see three cars—two in an outside lane and one ahead of me in mine. I paid at the first window and was given my drink there too. Then a car pulled in behind me and I had no way to exit, so I waited. And waited. An employee came out and took money from a customer in the first car of the opposite lane. Smelling opportunity, I rolled my window down and asked him if he could help me get out, since I had paid and had my order. He looked at me and laughed. Then he went back inside.

I honked. Several times. No one came out. Nothing moved. I felt anger rising in me. I know my face was red. I might have been shaking a little. The next time the runner-employee came out, I opened my car door and yelled, “Get me OUT OF HERE!” He ignored me. So I followed him in the service door. (Yes. I did.) And I yelled at the nonplussed crew of workers: “I’ve paid my money. I have my drink. I’ve been here for fifteen minutes. GET. ME. OUT. OF. HERE.” A manager told me they were busy filling other people’s orders, and I would just have to wait. In my car, not in there. I slammed the door and went back outside, seriously considering just leaving my car in park and walking away.

The drive-through traffic jam was all it took for me to completely abandon my sanctification and make a total fool of myself. I’m telling you this because it’s important to know that those of us who love Jesus deeply often fail him miserably. And because it never, ever ceases to humble and amaze me that Jesus loves even badly behaved me.

God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sins, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21