look in your rearview mirror

This week, my mind has been consumed with thoughts of hurting people. Mostly 2 families. One family from Johnsburg, where we lived before we moved here. Last Saturday, a 17 year old girl lost her life in a car accident. She was a student of Jason's. I didn't know her personally, but the details of the crash have left me shaking my head in disbelief. Apparently, the car she was riding in was cut off by a car passing them. The car she was in swerved to miss the car that had cut them off and lost control, went over the median, and struck a van head on in oncoming traffic. Two girls of the four that were in the car, died. The paper said that the other car that had cut them off didn't even stop.

Did they look back? Did they see how their actions affected others?
Did they see the tragedy they caused? Did they even realize how many people were hurt by what they did?
Did they look in their rearview mirror?

My friend recently posted about the type of wake we leave behind. This is sort of like that.

The other family that I've been thinking about a lot also have been hurt by other people. Not as tragic, but just as ruthless. I wonder, as my friends go through another difficult step, if those people have even considered the pain they have caused.

Have they looked back? Have they seen the kind of pain their bitter actions have caused?
Do they even realize how many people have been hurt by what they've done? Did they look in the rearview mirror?

I've learned that some people leave a path of destruction and hurt. They don't look back, because they don't care. They just keep going forward, not realizing what their choices have done to others.

I know that we cannot live life looking in the rearview mirror. But, sometimes, the past shows us what to change in the future. Sometimes we can see how we've hurt others.

God, in life, help me to look in the rearview mirror when I've passed someone. And, Lord, if I've hurt them, give me the courage to stop and help them. Please search my heart and show me the ways You want me to treat them. Show me how to love those I don't want to love.