Sometimes the most unexpected people “snap” for the most trivial reasons. I confess that I’ve been guilty of judging people who snapped—harboring thoughts like, “I would never get upset about such a silly thing.” And, yet, now I find myself being judged by a seatbelt.

It’s a silly thing for someone like me who has survived and thrived through hardships including living under a bridge and bathing in a river winter and summer; living in an open-ended greenhouse and piling up bales of hay to block the north wind; getting cheated out of my Texas property; leaving my Texas home for Scotland; having spinal surgery, a hip replacement, and a knee replacement. But for all of that—it’s a seatbelt that bugs me.

The bumps on the seatbelt that keep the clasp from sliding down have vanished. This means the seatbelt clasp falls straight to the floor when it’s released. That might not be a big deal in other cars, but our car is small and so closely constructed that it is impossible to reach down and retrieve the clasp to fasten the seatbelt once the car door is closed. That means opening the door into wind and rain and bending down to reach for it while getting soaked…because Dunoon, Scotland, averages 250 days of rain a year, and only 115 dry days.

My head, face, and right shoulder are soaking wet now as I write this (because drivers in the UK drive on the left side of the road from the right side of their vehicles)…and I am cold, wet, and irritated. Once again a reminder from God to be humble and not to judge others. Irritations grow from the most inane seeds.

“Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3.

So…I school myself not to grumble—to ignore the seatbelt irritation and instead to be thankful. To give thanks that we have a car. To be thankful that the car is running. To acknowledge that we are blessed in every area of our life including transportation.

And I lift myself up above and beyond any feeling or irritation…until the next time I get in the car and open the door into pelting rain to grab the seatbelt clasp.

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