Last night, I was at a high school football game watching my godson’s team play and I was reminded, real time, about the power of grace. It was a home game so we were at our home field and the team we were playing was actually really good. Mistakes were made on both sides but it just so happens that they were able to capitalize in our mistakes to a greater extent than we were able to on theirs.

As the game progressed, and the other team racked up points, the fans of the opposing team seem to be more than just cheering for their team, they were getting a bit rowdy. I don’t want to quote them and there was no foul language but a couple of times they seemed to be cheering for plays that were unsportsmanlike. Calls that went our way they would scream at the refs for but if the same call went there way they would celebrate the refs.

By halftime, I was getting pretty aggravated with the way they were all acting, like children. Grown adults acting like brats. From my vantage point our fans were cheering but not doing anything close to what the other fans were doing. I went down to the concession stand to grab a drink, got in line and waited about 5 minutes there. As I was approaching the counter, this guy came up, slide right in front of me with his two small kids cutting off me and the other 5 or so people in line.

At first, I was ticked off enough that I felt I had to say something. I looked at him and I know my look was one of being dumbfounded. He said Hello to which I replied Hi, then I turned, and looked at the line behind me and back at him. He went from looking at me to looking at the person at the counter and proceeded to order.

There was no way he did not see the line of people behind me but he ordered anyway. I was about to say something a bit more aggressIve when a word popped into my head, Grace. I asked myself quickly was it worth it? Should I make a scene here or just let this guy order for him and huis kids and just move along? I decided to follow the right path and I just let it go. Grace.

In thinking about it after the fact, Grace is powerful. I’m sure that if I had decided to speak up, there would have been more words exchanged, kids would have seen an adult acting like a child and who knows how far that whole situation could have escalated. In the end, it comes down to Grace and the golden rule. Treat other as you want to be treated. I was reminded of that last night and I am better for it.