Bumper stickers I might be willing to put on my vehicle

I’ve written before about bumper stickers and have commented that, so far, I’ve avoided placing any on my vehicle. Some bumper stickers are a philosophical statement, such as the “coexist” stickers you see in the wild. The problem with them is that there is so much left to interpretation it’s hard to know whether you even agree with the philosophical thought. For example, what does “coexist” mean to each person who places that sticker on their car?

Another big category of bumper stickers is political candidates, or referendum issues the person supported. I think the main problem with this is, at best, you are broadcasting your political opinion to others, and some would disagree with you before they even heard your point. At worst, that bumper sticker could be for a failed political candidate or issue, like when Bernie Sanders ran for president and didn’t survive the primary process. To be fair, I could have used Dr. Carson and his failed presidential bid as my example.

That leaves a miscellaneous category like the “student driver” bumper sticker I wrote about recently. The one I saw yesterday fits into this category.

What made this story worth telling was that I saw this vehicle when I parked next to it. I wanted to take a pic of the bumper sticker, but I noticed someone was sitting behind the wheel. I took the pic and walked up to his window. He was on the phone, so I gave him a thumbs up and mouthed that I liked his bumper sticker. He rolled down the window and said something nondescript like, “Can I help you?” I told him that I liked his bumper sticker.

He replied he had seen them some time ago and they had made him laugh, so he ordered his own from Amazon. There were a few pleasant seconds of conversation, then I went into my appointment.

Talking to a stranger brings the risk that they’ll misinterpret your intentions. Certainly, I was worried about that as I approached his window. His question about how he could help me obviously was a guarded response. He wasn’t necessarily assuming the worst, but he was being cautious. As soon as I explained why I was interacting with him, his demeanor changed and we had a friendly interaction, which is what I intended.

I carried that positive interaction with me the rest of the day. It helped me maintain my positive attitude even when the next situation wasn’t as fun as that had been. I pray it did the same for him.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:13-16 ESV

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” - Philippians 4:8-9

I may not fully understand why God created the world the way he did. But one thing I’m sure of is that I’m more joyous when I focus on him and his commands than I could ever be on my own. The glass is either half empty or half full depending on your attitude and your faith in God.