We have a car show this Sunday and my mind has been focused on cars and my memories of cars. One memory that came back to me was my driving test for my first license. I had taken driver training in summer school in a car with automatic transmission…no shifting needed. But when it came time to do my driver’s test, I was so paranoid about parallel parking, I decided to take the test in my Dad’s Volkswagen. I had driven a bit with it and its clutch needed for shifting gears. I began my test and things seemed to be going pretty well. I had nailed the parallel parking part with the small car and all I had to do was drive around and not hit a car or a person! I was almost done with the test when I came up to a 4 way stop sign with all kinds of cars at each sign. So I had to inch up a bit each time someone went through the intersection. I was focused on the cars and didn’t really pay attention to my shifting gears. In that vintage Volkswagen, you pushed the stick up and to the left for first gear…but if you didn’t pay attention, you could end up pushing it up and to the right and trying to move the car in third gear. Needless to say that won’t work. Well, guess what happened? Yep…I got so focused elsewhere that I jammed that gear shift into third gear…and the car died. I started the car and tried again…and I killed the car’s engine again. I panicked and had no idea what was going on. So I stared at that gearshift and watched how I was shifting and realized my mistake. I got it into first and got back to the DMV. The guy grading me looked pretty grim and I figured it was all over for me. But as we got out he kind of sighed and said “Ok…let’s go get your picture taken.” I passed! But I almost ended up being stranded at that four-way stop because I lost my focus on what the important thing was for right then. Just put the gear shift in the right place! Simple. But you know what? We do the same thing. We go through life and get distracted, overwhelmed or just lazy and we take our eyes off this Jesus of the Bible…and we end up getting tripped up by sin. We put our life’s focus somewhere else and then we wonder why we are stalled and just can’t get to where we want and need to be. If you find yourself in that situation, just take a deep breath, tell this Jesus of the Bible you need to get focused on him. And then let go what has captured your attention, emotions or even your heart. And then you’ll be moving again and continue the journey that God has for you the way God wants you to go. Everyone gets stalled…just don’t stay there making the same mistakes over and over. Get going and get on the road again! Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with
endurance the race God has set before us. (2) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with
endurance the race God has set before us. (2) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ