Instead of giving up the obligatory food or entertainment for the 40 days of fasting I decided to refrain from speeding and tailgating. I know, I know those are illegal and a "good" Christian wouldn't willingly break the law, etc. All I can say is watch out for the plank, they can be blinding. Anyway on to my story...
Commuting to Seattle everyday in traffic has frustrated me. That anger pushes aside the joy that God gives me. And I wanted the joy back. Sunday, before the big game, I volunteer to pick up my children's friends. It's amazing how slow 25 is! Monday as I leave my driveway I remind myself of Lent and figure this will be easy, I only have to avoid tailgating. Wrong! There was NO traffic. I felt like I was walking as the flow of cars zoomed past me. On the way home, traffic was back, and every licensed driver in the Northwest wanted the space right in front of me. I felt like I was going backwards. This has been the pattern all week. I have accidentally sped, correcting as soon as I found out, but all in all I have been faithful. My reward? Peace. Hope. Love. Grace. It has been amazing. Trading frustration for His glory, the right thing to do.
I have always prayed while driving, in the past it has been: "God, please get this idiot out of my way" and this week it has been: (looking in the mirror) "God, get this idiot out of your way". As I have been spending more time in my commute it got me thinking. What would our freeways look like if they were built on Christian values. No one would speed, there would always be 4 seconds between cars, drivers would be looking ahead and behind to see who they could let in, and the left lane would always be empty because "who ever is first shall be last". The only problem I see is that traffic would stop if someone had a blowout as we would all stop to help!
That is my first week story. Happy Lenting to you all. Trust me, give something up to gain some of Him, you will win every time! God Bless.