There are benefits to living in the city. One of the detractors, in my opinion, would be rush hour traffic. I took Harley to the groomer during the 7:30 a.m. rush hour this morning. What an eye opening experience. My rush hour days are behind me now. I used to be a participant in the craziness that occurs at those peak traffic moments. This morning I drove as an observer, more than a participant. I wondered what God must think, looking down on this spectacle. A race to get somewhere, so fast paced, that lives are lost in traffic everyday. Then forty of us reached the school zone.

Until that moment, I had a death grip on the wheel, watching as motorists, cut each other off, weaving in and out of traffic, racing through intersections on amber lights. I try to stay close to the Lord when in my car. Of all the places one can be, besides a hospital or an African hunting excursion, the highways are a good place to stay in contact with our Heavenly Father.

Suddenly, two crazy lanes of traffic, were forced to come to a halt. Slow down. I was watching the cars around me as a block of school zone brought everyone to a screeching halt. Some were calm. Some were tapping on the steering wheel as if that was going to speed things along. Some got upset and tapping became a fist slap to the steering wheel, out of frustration. The minute the “crisis” created by the school zone was over, we were back to break neck speed and chaos once again.

Life is like that. We become anxious over all the tasks before us. Too much to do. Not enough time. Tired to the bone. We run at an amazing pace trying to stay up with family business, school functions, workplace duties, church duties and social events. Racing through life. The day which should be calmly executed has become more like rush hour traffic. We are racing to out do, out work, out perform everyone we come in contact with. We want to get ahead of the traffic of our day. By days end, God willing, and we have survived…We collapse in a heap of exhaustion and stress that God did not intend for us to face.

Then comes that “school zone” moment in life. The one you didn’t expect on your journey. A forced slow down. A come to a halt moment. We are not in control any longer. We cannot move forward at the pace we were going. We have to stop for changes in our life. We experience work place change, financial crises, injuries, illness, hospital events, and yes, the loss of life of those we love. A forced slow down in the race to the finish line.

I wondered this morning as I watched rush hour play out before me. Does God allow “school zones” in our life to force us to be still? I know He allows us to choose our behavior, does He also allow us to choose prayer time with Him? When we are absent from time with our Father, does He call a meeting? Schedule a time 0ut for us? We make choices every moment of every single day. But, I wonder if the life changing events that slow us down, in some instances to a complete stop, are meant to get our attention. Make us focus on what the most important things are in our life. To slow down enough…To seek Him. To take counsel with Him, before we go out into a world where evil lives.

I have had my own personal “school zone” moments. I recognized that God couldn’t get my undevoted attention any other way than to bring me to a stop sign. All of them, came in the middle of the most hectic part of my life. Exhaustion was my daily experience. Worry was my partner. Anxiety hung over me like a drab cloak. Sadness permeated deeply into my heart. Letting go of one precious soul after another. Trying to do everything, for everyone, every minute of my day. He slowed me down in hospitals and hospices. He placed His word in my lap, as I watched and waited. A forced slow down as I sat praying. Forced, “be still, and know I am God” moments. A screeching halt to the speed I had become accustomed to.

How about you this morning? Running on empty? Racing from the moment you rise until you lay your head down? No time allowed for prayer? Unwise and unhealthy eating? No experience with a calm spirit that brings health and wellness? Maybe, we all could use a self imposed slow down today, in the race we call life. Instead of a forced slow down, how about a self imposed. One that does not involve a crisis. A moment with our Father to talk about our day, about our goals, about the needs we have for our family, our workplace, our life, our food plan, and our financial well being.

~Scripture For Today~

Psalm 46:10
10 Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. (NASB)

10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (KJV)

~Prayer For Today~

Hello Father! Holy is Your name. We take pause this morning. No matter what translation we use to read your word, this scripture invites us to be still and cease striving. We pray for silence and calm. For a slowdown in the race we call life. Keep our minds focused on You and Your desire that we have life and have it abundantly. We pray for time spent away from the chaos of the world, moments of stillness and calm, in Your presence. Your plan for our life, is more perfect than we can even imagine. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

©2016 Kathy Ledbetter. All Rights Reserved.

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