With all the chaos, he was going to need me to pick up his vehicle that had recall work completed on it. So, I had to call for a Lyft late afternoon, around rush hour, to take me to the service shop.
I was ready for the weekend. Life had been moving too fast without a moment to even take a deep breath. We were living life in the fast lane. It was hard to even take time to process all that was quickly coming at us. I arrived at the shop and hopped up in his truck to quickly leave and check more things off my list. I stopped to run a few errands, grabbed a quick, fast-food dinner, and then drove the 45 minutes back home after sunset.
I’m still trying to get used to these Colorado county roads with hills, valleys, and multiple stop signs throughout the cattle country. The speed limits and placements make no sense to me. Every few miles they change, though the landscape doesn’t. Within a 10 mile stretch you may encounter 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 m.p.h. speed limits in no respective order. On top of that, usually you will only have one speed limit sign per change. You can drive miles without seeing a speed limit sign.
I had worship music playing while I was praising and praying my way home, driving on the somewhat unfamiliar back, country roads. I was having my own little worship party on my drive home! The next thing I knew, I saw flashing lights like that from a disco ball at a dance party, but they were red and blue. I was being chased down by a County Police Officer. I slowed down to a crawl and pulled over.
The officer approached my vehicle and without hesitation said, “Ma’am, do you know how fast you were diving?”
“I am so sorry. I do not officer. I was not paying attention,” I said. He quickly let me know the speed limit was 40 m.p.h. in the zone I was traveling in, and I was driving well over that at the bottom of the hill. He asked for the necessary paperwork and went back to his vehicle, which gave me a few minutes to stop and ponder.
I wanted to come up with so many excuses, but I didn’t. How could I be angry? I was clearly wrong. I broke the law. I was not paying attention and was speeding. I could not argue. Can you relate?
Life had been a bit heavy in recent weeks, and I had continued to find ways to charge ahead. This moment, though I wanted it to be different, was a necessary pause. It was a physical reminder to slow down and be mindful to abide the law.
As I sat long enough in the silence, I wondered how quickly I have passed by God moments in recent weeks. I was trying to do so much in my own strength.
The Lord desires our presence over production. Sometimes we just have so much to do. We can often desire to have everything be done pronto and God just needs to help us pause or slow down.
I thought about Isaiah 30:15-18:
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.” Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him (NIV).
I can tend to speed through life at times and not slow down. What about you? The Word of God mentions repentance, rest, quietness, and trust, and Isaiah says, “But you would have none of it.”
That is clearly me in this season. What about you? Maybe it’s time to pause and evaluate. I recommend you do that in a quiet place of your choosing, so an officer does not need to get involved and help slow you down.
Remember, “In repentance and rest is your salvation and in quietness and trust is your strength.”
What does that mean to you? What changes can you make today to get out of the fast lane? “The Lord longs to be gracious to you. He will rise up and show you compassion.”
How can you make Monumental Moments and live to multiply His movement today?
