What Drives Your Car?

Is it safe to say that you really haven't driven until you've tackled that Capital Beltway that loops around Washington DC? How about being able to safely navigate around Atlanta, GA, in the "slow lane" going nearly 80 miles per hour? I've had to do both!! Our cars have become so comfortable and stable that we forget the reality of what we are doing...sitting encased in $18-$20,000.00 of glass, metal, fiberglass, and combustible fuel at high speeds. I remember my first car...a 1984 Ford Escort that "pegged out" on the speedometer at 85! It was 4-speed and 1.6 liters of chugging power. Now, today, that same "type" of vehicle registers 110-120 on the speedometer. We've been lulled to sleep by the advancement of technology that puts these vehicles together to the point that we don't "feel" how fast we're really going. What brings this to mind is the most recent news coming out of the Vatican. Are you familiar with their "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road?" In that document came the "Driver's 10 Commandments." I will focus on one that caught my attention...it's number five which says "Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination." Again, that made me think back to the Capital Beltway and driving in the major cities. I have had many occasions where I've actually felt threatened by the driver behind me. I'm sure if they had the assurance that they wouldn't even get so much as a "ding" in their front bumper, they would not hesitate to spin me out or, in NASCAR terminology, "get me loose" to move me out of the way. Many times, I could look in my rear view mirror and become alarmed that I couldn't even see their headlights. "Up my tailpipe" is what I call it. That's why I ask "what drives your car?" Our emotions and demeanor have a lot to do with it. If we will really confess, we must say, at times, that we use our cars to our advantage. We do use our cars to "express our power and domination" on the road. Just think, when we're mad/upset we drive mad/upset. When running late we tend to speed and wish people out of our way. I think we fail to step back and realize how lethal this mind-set of driving can become if left unchecked. I have done an experiment that shows that speeding/driving faster for any trip less than three hours gains nothing. Ok, maybe 2-3 minutes, but that is not worth burning extra fuel and endangering others on the road trying to hurry. Besides, when you add in stoplights, gas/potty stops, and traffic congestion, the 2-3 minutes you gain by speeding are lost...in other words, you end up arriving in the same amount of time had you gone the speed limit. Rational thinking saves more than time and resources...it can be prevention...that one decision that keeps you from having or causing an accident. So, the next time you're on the road...back off, slow down, and leave with plenty of time to arrive at your destination. Don't become a statistic or the outcome of what I usually say when someone blows past me on the interstate when I mumble "I guess they're in a hurry to get to the scene of their accident!" Your car is for transportation and not for expressions of anger, power or domination. Enjoy your next drive in the car...and may the only thing that gives your car "power" be the gasoline!!

What Will Make You Quit?

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Jerry Falwell is this: "You don't determine a man's greatness by his talents or wealth like the world does, but by what it takes to discourage him." I pose this question: What does it take to make you throw in the towel and quit? Are you easily swayed by intimidation? Do you quickly retreat at the first sign of opposition? Are you soundly defeated when it appears you're outnumbered by the opposition? It has always been said that "The greatest way for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." It is time for us to stop cowering in fear and allowing the godless to run all over us. Fear is but the ammunition of the terrorist, the chord in which evil uses to choke our message and the noise Satan uses to drown out the truth. When you are tempted to succumb to the fear of threats, opposition, and intimidation of others, remember it is not your battle to fight! As 2 Chronicles 20:15 says, "This is what the Lord says to you, 'do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'" Give God room (and time) to deal with those who cause trouble in your life. As God commanded Joshua following the death of Moses in Joshua 1:9, "This is my command -- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Don't quit...ever!! Now, take your towel, fold it, and put it back in the linen closet where it belongs!