Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Religious Events
Lessons from Parking During the Christmas Rush

Lessons from Parking During the Christmas Rush

Last updated on: December 17, 2023 at 3:19 am by Gregory T. Smith

0 Comments

Lessons from Parking During the Christmas Rush 2023-11-26T19:23:24-08:00 Gregory T. Smith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

While Christmas shopping, parking lots and garages are brutal. Here are some lessons I’ve learned from parking during the Christmas rush.

Photo by Spielvogel on Wikimedia Commons

Especially during Christmas, there’s something about the parking garage experience that either brings out the best or the worst in people. Most people are in a hurry, trying to find a space. Often, I have watched as hurried people fly through a parking garage (we call them parkades here in Canada), not only endangering themselves, but others. They miss spots that are hidden behind large vehicles because they’re driving too fast to notice them.

The Danger of Moving Too Fast

Similarly, we tend to move too quickly through life. That’s a dangerous thing to do! We might not see obstacles in our way, and risk collision with other precious souls. We also miss hidden opportunities if we go too fast, wasting time in our own hurry. Proverbs 14:29 says, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” This applies in parking garages, and everywhere in life.

A “Me First” Attitude

People can be terribly rude in a parking garage. A “me-first” attitude can cause people to steal spaces that other drivers have already claimed with their turn signals. It can make them stop and wait for someone who’s moseying slowly to their car, just so they can get that person’

s spot. Never mind that the driver has a long line behind him and could probably get another spot quicker by just moving on and finding a spot further up the ramp. He has to hold up the entire line because he thinks he’s more important than everybody else. This kind of person would do well to remember Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.”

Confidence is Better Than Fear

People are often fearful in a parking garage. Some are afraid of getting hit by those drivers who go too fast. Others get nervous about those who slow down and follow them to their cars, just to take their parking spot—and who knows what else. Still others are concerned they might forget where they parked.

Have you ever noticed how many scary movie scenes are filmed in parking garages? They make us anxious. We’re out of our element, surrounded either by strangers or an empty, echoing parkade. Anybody might be hiding in the shadows. Rather than walking confidently with keys in hand, many people in parking garages tiptoe timidly, making themselves appear the bearing of a victim in the eyes of potential attackers. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” Confidence is always better than fear.

Lessons from Parking During the Christmas Rush

Yes, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they park during the Christmas rush. I pray we will all learn to be a little kinder, not only in garages but in life. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.” Let’s learn to both drive and walk in the Spirit, so that when people see us, they might see followers of God.

For related reading, check out my other articles:

General Christian

Religious Events

Travel and Religion

Holidays and special days

Christmas season parking

Faith over fear

Me first attitude

Parking during the Christmas rush

Patience is a virtue

What is a parkade in Canada

About Gregory T. Smith

I live in the beautiful Fraser Valley of British Columbia and work in northern Washington State as a behavioral health specialist with people experiencing homelessness and those who are overly involved in the criminal justice system. Before that, I spent over a quarter-century as lead pastor of several Virginia churches. My newspaper column, “Spirit and Truth” ran in Virginia newspapers for fifteen years. I am one of fourteen contributing authors of the Patheos/Quoir Publishing book “Sitting in the Shade of another Tree: What We Learn by Listening to Other Faiths.” I hold a degree in Religious Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, and also studied at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. My wife Christina and I have seven children between us, and we are still collecting grandchildren. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

December 13, 2023

How to Have a Contemplative Christmas

Next Post

December 21, 2023 Word on the Street: Christmas Fact or Fiction?

Which book includes "A time to weep and a time to laugh"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Genesis Malachi Judges Ecclesiastes