I am a bad driver. I am changing the way I think about driving and, in turn, the way I drive. I took a driver safety course last night to dismiss a ticket. (Remember the car accident I was in last May? I was given a citation for "failure to control speed.") Anyway, here's my problem:
I act immature and drive aggressively. While I don't race "to be the first" to where I'm going, I do strive to maintain the speed at which I choose to get there. In other words, if cars are going slower than my chosen speed, I will dart around them to keep my "pace." That's really stupid, and it puts my "precious cargo" (i.e. my family) at risk.
I know better than to drive this way, but perhaps it's seeing myself through other people's eyes that finally opened my eyes and heart to repentance. The Driver Safety DVD goes into aggressive driving and points out its dangers and unnecessary risks. I also had another clue that something needed to change: I was having lunch with our two summer interns (Tim and Frances), and we stopped to have lunch at a KFC/A&W combo restaurant. When Frances prayed the pre-meal "grace," she asked God to keep us safe on the way home. Guess who the driver on that trip was?
Sigh.
That was humbling.
So, besides doing what I can do to repent (changing my mind or the way I think about something, and ultimately the way I act), I am praying a simple prayer. I'm asking God to forgive me for putting my family at risk by driving aggressively, and asking for His help in driving safer. I want to keep Him the Lord of my life -- and specifically this area of driving. Why not?
Jeremiah 9 has a great statement:
"This is what the Lord says:
'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the Lord, Who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,'
declares the Lord."
Jeremiah 15 has an interesting verse, too:
"Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
'If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve Me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words
you will be My spokesman.'"
(The context is God's people having turned away from Him over time, and God's judgment coming in the form of attacking armies and death. Jeremiah pleaded with God, telling Him how he "ate" God's Word: "they were my joy and my heart's delight..." He was faithful amidst hard times.)
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at August 4, 2005 09:15 AM