As I was driving home one spring rush-hour, the Phoenix traffic snarled to a halt. Soon cars were honking and drivers were shouting at one another. Some of us just sat with scowling faces. All except the driver on my right.
That driver smiled warmly at me, nodding a greeting. I called across to her, half-jokingly, “What’s your secret for staying serene in such a traffic jam?”
“Prayer. I use this as a prayer wheel,” she said, pointing to her steering wheel. Then she explained how, as she fingered each ridge on her steering wheel, she would pray for someone.
The very next time I got into a traffic jam I tried doing what that friendly driver had done. How quickly a brief prayer for a friend, relative or neighbor popped into mind each time I fingered a ridge on my steering wheel. The second time around my prayer wheel, I added a prayer for the driver in front of me, the one in back of me, and those to my right and left. Soon I’d prayed for all the drivers in view.
When traffic started moving again, I found that not only had the tension from driving eased, but I was a more courteous driver. How could I be otherwise? Praying for my fellow drivers had given me an extra measure of concern for them.
