A few weeks ago while driving to work a car sideswiped me. Then he kept going. Basically I was going with the flow of traffic in the fast lane and he decided to pass someone slow in the car pool lane by swerving out and around. He managed to contact enough with my big old van that I have streaks of white all down the driver’s side.
I wasn’t hurt. I didn’t move that much in my lane so I didn’t connect with any other cars. By the time I realized I had been hit and looked up to check on the other car it disappeared up over a bridge. He didn’t stop. My car was still moving. I was in the fast lane, so I kept going.
I thought about it later after I talked to the highway patrol and the insurance company. That little car may be pretty banged up and I sure hope they got where they were going. They had to have been going at least 90mph. And sometimes I think of them, usually as I approach my door and see the scratches and some paint flake off. I think, I hope they are okay. I should pray for them.
The bible has many verses about hurrying. The verses are mostly people having to hurry out of someplace before some disaster or people asking God to hurry to their rescue. But I wonder if it is good to hurry. I’ve learned if I get in a hurry at work, I make more mistakes. That is not good. So I’ve tried to learn not to hurry.
Proverbs mentions hurry and scurry put you further behind but careful planning puts you ahead in the long run. This seems to be a mantra with me. I’m learning to do things right the first time. And I’m hoping also learn to finish things too.
As the school year winds down out here in California, many young people are in a hurry to start their summer. They want to start to live! They want the beach. They want to sleep! And these are all good things for the summer. But let’s not hurry to the end of school so quickly that we forget to savor the last things of school. There are last concerts, last award ceremonies, last meetings, last pieces of homework, last tests, last projects, last parties, and last times to be with this group of people. Seniors will graduate and others will move on to different schools.
I loved what Isaiah said. I am in no hurry, God. I am content to linger here with you. Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you, God. Level me out God and make my decisions follow your decisions. Make me yours, completely, always able to enjoy your creation and your people along the way.
Isaiah 26:7 The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. We’re in no hurry, God. We’re content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you’ve done are all we’ll ever want. Through the night my soul longs for you. Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you.
