temporary roadblock

Last night my sister told me a story: She was driving home from work the day before and got cut off by a driver. She was really mad and couldn't believe this horrible driver had the nerve to cut her off. Soon he turned off of her road and she kept going. Moments later, three deer ran in front of her car. If the car hadn't cut her off she would have sped right into the deer. Her story gave me chills. I asked her if she prayed right then and she said yes.

So here's my version:

I’m driving down this road.

Trying to get to my destination

As

Quickly

As

Possible.

I can see it.

And I know that as far as I’m concerned

I’m already late.

So I speed up

Pushing my foot against the gas pedal

I need to go faster because this is just taking

Way too long.

Suddenly

Out of nowhere

A car comes

Cutting me off

“Who does he think he is?”

I say to myself

He has got some nerve

I think

As I’m forced to step on my break

Slowing down my car

Ultimately slowing down my getting to where I need to be.

I think about following him closer

Creeping up to his bumper

Just inches away from his car

Showing him that he can’t treat me that way.

But I don’t

Instead I just slow down

And drive normally.

I’m angry

I cannot believe someone would have the audacity to think he could do that to me

Doesn’t he know how to drive?

Doesn’t he know I have places to be?

I’m fuming in my seat

My whole body shakes with

Rage

I want to flick him off

I want to pull him over and give him a piece of my mind

But instead I drive

Normally

Continuing down the road.

Soon he turns off

Turning right while I continue to go straight

I’m relieved that he’s no longer in front of me

But still angry that he could do that to me

There’s no way I’m going to get there in time

Now

All of a sudden I see something

Running across the road

It’s a deer

After him comes two more

Trotting along the street

They’re beautiful

But so close

And their proximity to my car

Terrifies me

When suddenly I realize something

If I had been going my normal speed

My previous speed before that jerk cut me off

I

Would

Have

Hit

One

Of

Them

If not the first one then the second one

If not the second one then the third one

I would have at least hit one of them

If not all three

And my car would be totaled

And my life might be

Bruised

Or

Over

The thought of this gives me chills

My eyes start to burn with tears

And my vision becomes blurry

So I pull over to the side of the road

Lay my head on the steering wheel

And

Cry out to the One who sees what I can’t

Who always knows what lies on the road before me,

My Savior

“Thank You"

My sister's story made me realize something. I've been driving along this road I'm on, trying to move so fast to get to my destination. I feel like I'm going the right way, and I probably am, but sometimes something comes along that seems to slow down my driving.

Recently I've experienced a set back. It's made me angry and confused and made me feel like I'm off course. When that driver cut my sister off she was so angry. She felt like she was wronged and this wasn't fair. And it wasn't. That person should have known better than to cut her off. But then again, God used that. He used this driver to slow my sister down.

God uses our wrongs. He uses the injustices we are faced with. He uses these things that come out of nowhere and seem to really set us back. Although I've been temporarily slowed down, there is probably a reason that I can't yet see. God knows what's further down the path. And maybe, if I had kept going my way, full speed ahead, I would have crashed right into that obstacle or devastation that lies just around the corner. But now that I've been slowed down, I'll just watch the obstacle pass me by.

God sees everything. He sees the entire road we travel down. He knows every bump and deer and ice patch and everything that could possibly cause us a huge accident. And sometimes God uses these temporary injustices to keep us from having a fatal crash.

Thank you God for knowing more than I do. Thank you Lord for keeping me safe. Thank you Lord for slowing me down so that I can get where you want me to be, in your perfect timing. Not in mine.  I love you Dear One.

Love.