Life at 70mph.
It’s been raining in Dallas. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this weather. It’s definitely a welcome change from the triple-digit temperatures, but there’s something about the rain that spurs the thoughts. Something about the scent of rain.
I can tell it’s been awhile since it’s rained in Dallas just by driving around all day. You can see it in the driving. Everyone is hesitant to drive normally. And I’m hesitant to drive around these people. But as I was attempting to make it home safely down crazy Hwy 75, intensely gripping my wheel and untrusting every driver on the road, I passed a car on the left. Broken down, emergency lights blinking, hood up with someone looking in it. My foot went on the brake and I quickly released it, realizing I was already half a mile away from the poor guy. And I have very little knowledge about cars.
I kept driving, wondering if I should turn around (which would have required me to exit, turnaround at the overpass and then figure out which turnaround to take again and get back on the highway) and I passed another car on the right side of the road with its emergency lights on. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t see anyone standing outside and like I said, I’m a typical girl. And typical girls don’t know much about cars. And typical girls are easy targets.
What a gyp.
I wonder if God intended for life to be this way. For people to need help but for us to be moving so fast, eyes so focused on our destination that we fail to stop and help them out. For people to fear helping each other out (people always remind me I’m a very small girl and that very small girls are easy to be taken advantage of) and for people to just keep to themselves.
As I neared my own destination, I wondered what it was like when Jesus walked the earth. He was always walking. He could stop at any time (and if Jesus was anything like me, He would’ve stopped a lot) and just say, “What’s up!” And if you were one of the many random people He talked to, He never failed to invite them to come along. He always extended His hand and words to help, then said, “Hey! Let’s go! Come on!”
How much different would the life of Christ have been if He drove a car? If He was speeding from town to town in His Lamborghini, waving His hand “hi” to those He passed on by? If that Samaritan woman didn’t get the amazing privilege of Jesus actually telling her, “Hey, I’m the One” because He went to get some bottled water at the convenience store while He filled the car up with gas instead of stopping at one of those really slow do-it-yourself wells.
Sometimes I really hate being civilized. We were meant for so much more than comfort, security, and air-conditioned, five-speaker, built-in GPS, rearview camera, heated seat cars. But somehow I always manage to get caught up in the muck of it all.
Anyone want to trade a bike for my car?
Tags: america
By dwightk, October 11, 2006 @ 7:35 am
Crud… people in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill like to slow down and start swerving all over the road when it rains.
As far as stopping goes, I’d just go with the “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to His purpose”
And with that realise that hey, you might stop and the people may just need someone to help them do something, they know what to do but don’t have enough hands… Or maybe they need a jump… that is a really easy thing to do/ learn how to do.
Maybe there isn’t anything you can do…