Day 27 – Caution

Driving is probably my least favorite thing to do. I see it as a dreaded chore — worse than latrine duty. Perhaps it’s because I missed that whole right of passage as a teenager since we didn’t have a car. Most of my friends got a permit and a license in high school, and a few actually got new cars before heading off to college or careers. I, on the other hand, learned to use public transportation, and that allowed me to still do the things that others did — just not always as timely as I would’ve liked. All in all, learning to use public transportation did me some good. One benefit is that I quickly learned to get around unfamiliar cities.

As I drove into work this morning, there were pockets of low-lying fog along my route. Today is one of those days that I wish I could take the bus to work, pop in my earbuds, and enjoy the ride. Since this is not my reality, I put on some music, my patience, and my low beams. The weather conditions caused me to slow down considerably as well. Fast forward 12 hours, and I’m driving home. To my surprise it’s raining this time — not a torrential downpour, but a fine mist. You know the kind — the misty rain that keeps you toggling between slow wiper speed and fast wiper speed. It’s just impossible to stick to one. Again, I slowed down considerably until those conditions were behind me.

In life, we’ll face all sorts of challenges and obstacles that will force us to proceed with caution. Some of those obstacles will cause you to stop right where you are, and others will make you want to go back to your old life. That’s just the enemy playing mind games with you yet again. He wants you to get out of the car and hitchhike back to your old life. He’ll even convince you that the ride back is smoothly paved, sunny, and the streets are lined with friends. He can paint a beautiful picture, and you start to fantasize about that old life — thinking that it really wasn’t that bad. Well, how many of you know that if you just traveled through rain and fog that you’ll have to go through it yet again on the way back? Don’t fall for the okey doke. Don’t be bamboozled or led astray. He wants you to veer off course to daydream about his distorted picture of  your reality. Remember the house of mirrors from Day 13? Yeah, that’s what he’s doing — distorting the past so that it seems more appealing.

Get back into the car (in case you got out), talk to the guy riding shotgun, and adjust your mirrors. As you shift into drive, watch the old life get further away in the rearview mirror. That’s where your past needs to stay — behind you. Ask God to show you a glimpse of your glorious future — the one he promised you in Jeremiah 29:11.  Tell me what you see. Is it sunny, smooth, and lined with new friends? You’ll never know unless you go. May blessings abound! <3

Click here to continue to Day 28 – Proceed With Caution.