A wise person wins friends

Proverbs 11:30 (NLT)

30 The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.

This shows what great blessings good men are, especially those that are eminently wise, to the places where they live, and therefore how much to be valued. [Matthew Henry]

When you think wisely it becomes easier to win over friends. I read a story about a woman waiting in a long fast food line. Another woman blew her horn indicating she wanted in the line. The first woman graciously allowed her to get in front of her although it was obvious who was there first. The woman she let into the line made some rude gestures towards her and appeared upset.

Now at this point many of us might have let our anger start getting the better of us. Not only did this woman force her way into the line, she was totally unappreciative about it.  However, the lady who graciously let her in line thought differently.

She thought, “You know, maybe she is just having a bad morning.” So when she pulled up to the speaker she told the fast food employee that she would pay for the car in front of her. She said the lady may decline, but tell her I insist and I hope she has a good day – this one is on me. When the woman in front got her food the woman behind her could see her talking to the employee. Then surprisingly the woman who had been so rude turned and gave an appreciative wave. When the other lady pulled up the employee said, “The previous lady told me to thank you and said she was sorry for her behavior. She was running late for an appointment and the long line had just irritated her.”  

The wisdom this woman showed of being gracious, kind, compassionate and generous won over a friend that day. Instead of driving off bitter the other woman had left with a friendly wave and a smile.