I offer to you that sometimes the greatest peace you can find comes from walking down a different road than the normal one. I call this the LOW road!
To be the one who OFFERS to sit in the back seat of a packed car is not considered a normal choice. Think back to eagerly trying to get in the car first before your siblings, yelling SHOTGUN!!! 🙂 Or how about going to a ballgame. Do you ever hear anyone say “Oh excuse me. You can have my seat… the one right up front. Yeah, that one. I would rather sit way back.” People would look at you like you were crazy!
NO ONE likes to be last in line, or stuck sitting way back, or the one who gets the last and smallest piece of pie, and no one likes to be overlooked and forgotten.
However, there is great joy in stepping back and giving up your rights. (what???) Yes. Feeling entitled, or feeling like you have certain rights keeps you always in defensive mode. Who wants to walk through this already stressful life with fists clenched tightly, always anticipating having to protect your rights?
Just for a moment, think opposite of what is considered normal. If you take the low road, you will begin to esteem others higher than yourself. You will notice the one over in the corner, who is sad. You will move aside for the frazzled mom who has a screaming child. You will pause for just a moment, and let the old man cross the street (who is only walking slowly because , well….that’s as fast as he can go.) You will not feel entitlement to get what you want, when you want it, and boy, does THAT relieve stress right off of you!
The low road
The low road helps you learn to be cool. ???? NO, not sunglasses cool. Cool as in CHILLED. Flexible. Not rattled. Breathing steadily in and out. Noticing tiny buds on flowers kind of cool. Hearing ocean waves roaring kind of cool. Noticing a cold and hungry soul kind of cool.
The low road is not very busy. It is nice. Not many walk it, so you will have less anxiety just from that fact alone! As you let go of feeling like you deserve something, or that you are better than someone else, or that you just “don’t have time for this”., you will be so surprised at your stress level… it will drop.
“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing (putting up with) one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2) So today let someone at the coffee shop get in front of you in line, and for no reason. And forgive someone who doesn’t even know you were mad at them. Let go of that entitlement thing that is tightly wrapped around our drive-thru culture.
That concept of “Because I’m worth it” does not bring joy, and just makes you constantly anxious trying to keep up. I don’t know about you but I am tired of my life being controlled by stress. If the low road brings peace and contentment, that’s where I am headed…one step at a time.
You can’t run on this road; it’s a moment by moment careful stepping process; choosing every place you set your foot. Oh, and just for the record, taking the low road by NO means makes you less than. It makes you MORE than!
“Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
Oh, and you can probably guess Who you will meet and walk with on the low road . Yes. Jesus! “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15).
Also read: 5 Tips on How to be Humble