Bad things happen, they remind me how my choices create the possibility for tragic results, changing the course of many lives forever #GCTOGOD

Yesterday (7/1/2017), I watched as the story broke about the death of Bianca Roberson, in what is being called a case of “road rage”, today, David Desper is charged with murder.

So many times over the years, I too, have participated in what could only be defined as “road rage.” One time, a convertible sports car aggressively cut me off as I was driving into New York City on the 59th street bridge, initially ignoring him, then, as I was coming off the bridge, I noticed the guy in convertible, I had the opportunity to repay the favor, which I did, cutting him off aggressively. This infuriated the man and he started driving beside me erratically. Finally, near Central Park, he began banging on my closed window, demanding to talk. Ignoring him didn’t work, I finally held of my “bag” phone (this was a while ago) and asked if I should call the police to help resolve, he then went speeding off. As I think about Bianca, this could have been me, the victim, however, I could have also caused the guy in the convertible to be killed by my behavior, quickly making me the victimizer.

With Ms. Roberson and whomever killed her; Ms. Roberson’s life ended prematurely, her family and friends broken and for the person that pulled the trigger, a life upended, also a family and friends broken. This blog post isn’t about passing judgement on either party but rather a reminder to myself not to let the little things bother me which I so often do.

I am reminded of Mark 12:28-31 (NIV) where Jesus explains what the greatest commandment in the bible is, followed by the second.

“The Greatest Commandment

²⁸One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[a] ³¹The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] There is no commandment greater than these.””

It’s my hope and prayer that the next time I believe I’m being treated unfairly or misunderstood that I remember these verses and love God first and love others as myself, paving the way to increase God, decreasing myself, staying in the present, creating the opportunity to have a positive impact on others instead of a negative one.

#BREAKING: David Desper, 28, is charged with murder in the road rage killing of 18-year-old Bianca Roberson. Update: https://t.co/lPjHKoDxil pic.twitter.com/HOgiOJrzSs

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) July 2, 2017

About GettingCloserToOurGod

This blog is written by Todd Christenson. He was raised in Nebraska and currently lives on Long Island in New York. Though out my childhood, my family attended church. We prayed together at meals. I thought I was prepared for life. After college, I moved to New York City. Shy, unsure of myself, building an identity in worldly things, increasingly prideful, self-righteousness, a controlling nature. In 2013, God spoke through someone, suggesting I confess my sins. I did. I realized that every day, I’d been glorifying myself, not God. Today, God’s teaching me to have my identity in Him, only, my dependency in Him, not myself, being who He wants me to be, not the world, loving Him first, loving others as myself.

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