04.19
I saw the craziest site this morning while driving to work. A deaf man was ranting and raving in a nearby car. Both hands were moving wildly back and forth, as he scolded the child sitting next to him. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
The only problem with the scene… the deaf man was also driving 50 mph in heavy traffic. And he didn’t just rant and rave for a moment. This went on for a couple of minutes. (I followed him… from a distance.)
I started thinking… what’s a deaf man suppose to do if he’s driving, upset with his child, and has something to say? I guess he could try talking with only one hand, but maybe that ‘sounds’ more like whispering, or like stuttering. I’m not sure. But I do know that I’d feel ALOT better if he had at least one hand on the steering wheel.
This scene made me think about our lesson in church yesterday. We talked about our reaction to people & God when we’re in the storms of life. We learned that our best response was surrendering to the Holy Spirit by asking, ‘How Can I Honor God Right Now?’ Most of the time we avoid this question. Instead, we tend to be like the deaf man in the car, asking ‘What Seems Right to Me Right Now?’ Inevitably, this second question leads us down a very unwise path.
I hope the deaf man starts thinking more of others when he drives. And I hope we start thinking more of Jesus when we act. Our question of the week is, ‘How Can I Honor God Right Now?’
And isn’t that the last thing we think about when faced with a crisis? I will say that I am learning though, and am more likely than I used to be to turn to Him first. And that, I think, is the first step toward honoring Him in a difficult situation.
It’s great to hear from you! Thanks for joining the conversation…
I was reading a post left by Pam a few weeks back and part of it read…..”I have seen the earthly reward, that I didn’t even realize was part of the deal, in accepting the will of God. Peace… perfect peace. Opening the eyes of the heart allows one to see joy in sorrow and peace in spite of pain. It’s a beautiful thing…”
I experienced that perfect peace with Cindy’s last hospitalization. A peace that was present, and continues, in spite of the situation. I’ve shared this story, sharing with people what God has done for me. It IS a God thing! That’s the only thing that explain it as my way of dealing with her chronic condition didn’t work……..at all…..This doesn’t mean that I still don’t ache for by bride when she’s hurting, but the peace that is present in spite of the pain of watching her struggle is attributable only to Him, His Grace, His Love……………His Peace.
I’m constantly faced with choices. Do something to honor God or do it my way. Even this morning, as I sat in traffic – I saw a parking lot that people cut through to avoid waiting for the light. I thought “Everybody else does it”… I thought about it and didn’t. I’m trying really hard to honor God and amazed at how many opportunities I actually have – every minute. Sure – I could have cut through the parking lot and “helped out he people behind me by getting out of their way”… but I still got to work on time, I listened to some music and it was all good.
Some things it’s easy to trust with God. Others – I don’t know if I don’t want to let go, or if I don’t know how.
Accepting His will for our lives is not an easy thing to do. I am constantly facing frustration due to increasing problems that can be blamed on advancing age. Some would say ADVANCED age. But I have come to realize that these problems are His will for me so I too have experienced peace about it all.
What Scott said about honoring God with actions as simple as staying in the line at the traffic signal reminds me of the fact that as Christians we should not exceed posted speed limits. That is not an easy thing to do when the posted limit is ludicrous, or when one is running late. But I am convinced that it is something I should be more careful about. A man in my church does not have a church sticker on his car because he has no intention of obeying the speed limit and does not want to make the church look bad when he speeds down the road.
What I am thinking here is that honoring God can be a very simple matter relating to the apparently little things in everyday life.