I am not a fan of driving. Driving is awfully boring. I would rather clean out septic tanks than be a truck driver. As much as I have loved working here at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, the one thing that I don't like about it is my commute from Snellville. It's 19.4 miles of traffic-laden drudgery. As I drive from one end of Pleasant Hill Drive to another, I find it anything but "pleasant."
Last week, I had two very interesting drives to church. The first was on Sunday. There are 33 traffic lights between my house and the church. That morning, I made it to church in record time, 26 minutes, driving through 31 green lights and but two red lights. As I walked through the church's double doors, I had some pep in my step. Life is good.
On Thursday, however, I encountered morning commute Hell driving to the Senior High Breakfast Club gathering at Chick-fil-A. I got stuck at the Abbott's Bridge/Peachtree Industrial intersection for precisely 17 minutes. After 11 light changes, I made it through, but still it was bumper to bumper. As I finally walked into Chick-fil-A, I was exhausted. Life stinks.
Driving to church can be an interesting metaphor for our lives. At times, everything goes precisely as planned, maybe even better. We have our desires, our plans, our goals, and things seem to fall into place without a lot of "red lights" getting in the way. On the other hand, there are days when it seems like anything that can go wrong does indeed go wrong. There are things that indeed impede our plans for life. There is more "stop" than "go" and at times even tragic accidents all around us.
But in the end, that is OK. God's plans for our lives may not always be our plans. But I am convinced that life is so much richer when God is the pilot, and we are just the co-pilot. After all, I can't imagine driving down Pleasant Hill without any traffic lights whatsoever. Now that would be chaos!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
Prayer for Today
Lord, give us patience and peace as we welcome your plans into our lives. Help us to "GO" and help us to "STOP" at the right time. Bless us, we pray. Amen.
