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Something seemed to whisper in my ear that I should go home by a different route, but it was such a pretty day that I ignored the prompt and headed home the route I travel  daily and enjoy for it’s winding around town and by so many beautiful trees.  My smile faded as I pulled into a long line of cars traveling about 25mph (on a 55mph state route) following a huge piece of farm equipment lumbering down the road.  I was going nowhere fast.

Too merely say this was a huge piece of farm machinery barely describes the enormity.  Its right back tire was riding in the berm and took up the whole berm.  Its left back tire   riding on the center yellow line.  It’s not too surprising to come upon machinery on this road, and the sizes and speeds all vary.  Sometimes the slow down could also be a horse and buggy, in no hurry to get anywhere.  Perhaps my expectations were exactly what helped me to be more comfortable with slowing down and not wigging out about the delay.

Part of the delay, other than just snailing behind the bouncy mammoth on wheels, was that there is very little opportunity to pass on this stretch of road.  It is well traveled and there are very few sections where a brave soul can pass.   This afternoon there was no passing happening.  And the guy in front of me was fit to be tied.  His arms were flailing and he was jerking across the center line checking on whether he could pass.  This behavior was interspersed with long periods of laying on his horn.  I must confess that the longer I followed him the more I found myself laughing at his exasperation.  I might have had a bit more compassion, but he had already passed up three opportunities to turn  off and thereby get around the frustration.

I had been keeping my distance from the erratic driver in front of me and then I noticed a small green oval sticker on the back of car.  I thought I was reading it right, but wanted to be sure so I eased a little closer.  Sure enough.  The sticker contained one word: Pray.  It hit me so funny at first that I busted into a full out laugh. Really?  Hey buddy, did you forget your faith?  Your fickleness is showing, and it’s not becoming of your witness.

And then I got one of those nudges from the Spirit.  You know the kind.  It sounds very much like your mother, or teacher.  It starts simply with a throat clearing—just enough to get your attention, that is if you’re paying attention. That’s always followed by The Look.  Now, I’m not sure how the Spirit manages to give a look, but the feeling is just the same. I was caught and I knew it.

So I did the one thing I probably should have done to begin with, the one thing that I was being passively asked to do all along: I prayed.  I prayed that the driver would be safe.  I prayed that other drivers would drive safely and intelligently also.  Then I asked for forgiveness.  How dare I question this guy’s faith?  In my attitude I threw a stone when I had no right.  My fickleness hangs out way more than I care to admit. Someone might mistake me for Peter’s little sister.  I guess that’s why I never put any Christian symbols or stickers on my car.  Maybe that’s why I laughed so hard and quick.  That guy’s behavior was too familiar.  Oh, sure, I was cruising that afternoon, peaceful and unruffled, but it was because I had nowhere special to be.  What if I had been late for something very important?

I think if I were to have a pray sticker on my car, it would be better for me if I put it on the dashboard, not the bumper.  It’s on my list now to get this week.  I wonder if I could find one that said, Pray first,  Laugh later.  I’ll be looking!

This week I led a midweek Bible study at church.  My text was 2 Peter 1:3-11:

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,^[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The eleven of us gathered had a good time looking at the verses and discussing their meaning, and how to apply them to our lives.  Early in our conversation one of the men present made a reference to the older portion of the population in the congregation.  He referred them to the “experienced” members.  I liked it.

So there I was, surrounded by several of the “experienced” members of the congregation, talking to them about “making every effort.”  How crazy was that?  I’m not sure I would be able to add up all their combined years of following the Lord.  They were at a phase in their lives when perhaps they could rest in their walk.  And then it hit me: being there was part of their making every effort.  One woman had a walker and two others came in with canes, but there was no place they would rather be.  They are living proof that the pursuit of knowledge and a deeper relationship with God is life-long, and the process is well-worth it.

Being there with them really started me thinking about what I am doing.  I found myself taking stock of my effort level.  I have a lot of room for improvement.  Some of the holiness people I used to know made reference to how we are “saved, sanctified, and on our way to heaven,” but their lives appeared to be more “saved, sanctified, and satisfied.”  I pray that God never lets me get satisfied.  Like Paul, I want to press on (Phil. 3: 13).  How about you?

(Now that kind of entrance should be sort of sing-songy, and since it’s me, probably accompianied by a kind of Dick VanDyke entrance-picture the Mary Tyler Moore show…hopefully you’re old enough to remember or get oldy reruns on one of your cable networks.)

I feel like a little kid with a brand new box of crayons: overwhelmed by all the possibilities.  What shall I draw?  What colors shall I use?  Will it be a good picture?  What happens if no one sees it?  Or worse, no one likes it?

I’m a simple writer.  I tend to see God in the ordinary, and point him out to others.  I’m not very deep.  I’ve been told I’m pretty naïve.  Oddly, I’m really okay with that.  I don’t pontificate.  I ponder.  Sometimes I wonder.  And true to my ADD, I think out loud–or in this case through my fingers.

Hopefully as we journey together we’ll into new areas of understanding, but also into the big expanse of awe!