Church In The Hospital Parking Lot
I know a pastor who recently had an interesting experience in the hospital parking lot...
He drove to the hospital to be with a church member who was having surgery. The traffic was terrible, and surviving in such traffic requires a high level of alertness and even a bit of agressiveness. So when he arrived at the parking lot of the hospital, he was already on edge. The parking lot was big but crammed full. He drove all around in a fruitless search for an empty space. He spotted a small, out-of-the-way aisle, and headed toward it thinking surely there would be an available place. He was disappointed to find not only nowhere to park, but also that he wouid have to maneuver a good bit just to turn around at a dead-end place. Turning around, he was excited to see a car pulling from one of the spaces. Finally, after about ten minutes of seeking, he would be able to park his car.
About that time, another car pulled around the corner and aimed for the vacating spot. The pastor had been waiting patiently, and saw the latecomer maneuvering for the very spot for which he was waiting. He became irritated, and determined to beat the guy to the place. Even as the car was pulling out, he quickly zipped his car into the space. The would-be parking space thief was thwarted! And the pastor could see that the other driver was red-faced and irritated. The man laid down on his horn. The pastor looked him in the eye, and lip-synced an angry response.
Walking to the front door of the hospital, the pastor walked by the other car, whose driver was still looking for a spot. The good minister was still agitated and icily stared at the man. The driver pulled up and rolled down his window. He was a big man. The conversation went somewhat like the following:
Pastor: Why did you blast your horn like that?
Driver: You stole my place.
Pastor: I was there before you.
Driver: You passed it up.
Pastor: I was simply turning around.
Driver: I'm not going to argue with you, but you're a jerk.
Pastor: Would you like to get out of your car and say that to me?
Driver: Yeah. Just give me a chance to park my car, and we'll finish this.
Pastor: You're a real (explitive)
Driver: God bless you sir!
Pastor: (Very irritated that this guy would use God as a weapon in a verbal fight) What? God certainly has. And you're an (explitive).
The pastor walked on up the hill and into the hospital. He was a bit upset and shaken, and took a minute to compose himself. He went to the courtesy desk and asked for the room number of his church member. As he stepped on down the hallway, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that his newfound acquaintance had walked up to the courtesy desk.
Driver: Hello. I'm Rev. ______________. Could you give me the room number of........
Anger can be an ugly thing.
Like I said, I know that pastor rather well.
10.25.07 (10:56 pm) [
edit]
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
10.25.07 (9:19 pm)
"...Anger can be an ugly thing...."
You got it dude!
posted by:
fractalmom (
reply)
post date:
10.26.07 (8:34 am)
et tu brute? LOL
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
10.26.07 (12:54 pm)
Dueling pastors? Funny story!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
10.26.07 (4:28 pm)
Reply to: auntconi
"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." - James 3:5-6
It is important to stay close to the Lord, praying and studying the scriptures. Otherwise, these kinds of things can happen often.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
10.26.07 (4:29 pm)
Reply to: fractalmom
Wait a minute- I have simply stated that I know this man very well. He is a close, close friend and confidant.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
10.26.07 (4:30 pm)
Reply to: bawdy
It would have made for an interesting news story.
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
10.26.07 (4:45 pm)
hehehe ~ you are too funny ~ well not too funny, but soooo funny! :D
posted by:
kurtmaddox (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (12:21 am)
hey, one of the few really good fringe benefits of being a "pastor" is being able to park in the clergy spots at the hospital ;-) don't think this "pastor" doesn't have his credentials and his clergy mirror tag ready to go at all times! lol! god bless us, indeed!
posted by:
fractalmom (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (6:59 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
my apologies.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (9:01 am)
Reply to: fractalmom
Apologies...for what? Please, promise to never apologize to me again. Get as feisty as you want around here. Just keep it semi-clean. Apologies. Hah!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (9:04 am)
Reply to: kurtmaddox
The clergy spots are a thing of the past around here. That's o.k. I try to park in the far reaches of the parking lots, so I'm forced to walk and expend a few calories. Same with choosing stairs instead of the elevator. There are too many fat preachers around, but such is the subject of a different and offensive post of mine many months ago.
posted by:
fractalmom (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (9:39 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
LOL
posted by:
kurtmaddox (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (12:39 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
Hey, I better check that out here in California. If I they don't support clergy parking spaces then I may have to start one of those infamous California petition drives to get it on the ballot as referendum! lol! Besides, I'm on the thinner side of the fulcrum and I still look good in my robe ;-)
posted by:
spook102956 (
reply)
post date:
10.27.07 (12:44 pm)
We have clergy parking spaces at the hospital where I work. Sometimes one of those are the only empty space that can be found. I used to work in the chemotherapy infusion room that is attached the hospital where I now work. One whole wall of the chemotherapy room is glass. I happened to look out in the parking lot one day and saw one of the doctor's wives circling the parking lot. She finally parked up front in one of the clergy spots. When she got inside she said, "There are just no parking places out there; I finally parked in a clergy spot. I feel bad taking that spot, but I prayed all the way up to the building, does that count?"
posted by:
lavarock (
reply)
post date:
10.31.07 (1:06 pm)
Years ago in Atlanta, I was offered a choice by my employer, early retirement or I could stya and probably be let go. I took the retirement. My last day was a bitter-sweet memory, especially after 18 years with the company. The next day I went back to erase the PC and take a few last books. I was involved in an 8 car pileup on the inetrstate. Nobody was hurt, but I was excided becasue I was moving to Hawaii (the Big Island). Here we have so few people thet you ecognize many of the drivers. When an ambulance comes we pull over. The ambulances try not to sue sirens because the noise disturbs the quiet. They WILL use it if necessary though, but we pull over none the less. We also don't use the car horn and certainly holding your hand on the horn would not be very civil :-) I moved here to void the stress and its working. I wave others into traffic ahead of me. I let people have "my" space", I let them ahead of me in line at the supermarket. I help my neighbors sell coffee in direct competition to my own brand. call it what you will, but here we call it the "Aloha Spirit".
posted by:
lavarock (
reply)
post date:
10.31.07 (1:08 pm)
Oh to be able to edit and/or spell-chack :-)
