On December 21st this past year I hit the back of a semi. It was a day I had planned to not work and take as a vacation day. I decided at the last minute work and save a vacation day.
As you can see from the pictures, I am blessed to be alive. I had my cruise control set on 70 mph going up a steep incline when I hit the back of a semi that was going 35 mph at best.
The scene smelled like death. The front of the car was on fire, the smell of fuel and various fumes were in the air, broken glass was in my hair, hands, ears, etc.. Ambulance workers, a police officer and the wrecker crew alike all looked and spoke to me like they were speaking to a ghost. "I just witnessed a miracle," the driver of the semi proclaimed. One responder arrived and looked at my car and said to someone, "Have they already taken the body away?" They pointed to me and said, "No that's him walking around." By the grace of God, I was able to walk away from the crash with minor cuts and soreness.
I had planned on waiting to write about the accident in November or December later this year during the travel holidays, closer to my crash anniversary. However, I have recently felt compelled to write it now. Sometimes I think we often put off doing something we know could be helpful to others by "waiting until the right time" or "when I am less busy and things slow down." I have a full time job, a wife and three active kids all of which make me feel very blessed. I am not going to have "the perfect time" anytime soon and things are not going to "slow down." That being said I am writing this NOW.
Why are you in a hurry? If you are like most people, you ARE in a hurry.
I hurry because it makes me "feel" productive. I hurry because I have a large geography to cover with my job, fear of failure and the need to provide for my family. I hurry because I want to be a good employee, a good father, a good husband. I hurry because I procrastinate. I hurry because I am indecisive at times. I hurry because some people who are not in a hurry seem lazy to me. I hurry because I feel overwhelmed and forced to by my circumstances.
So again I ask, why do you hurry?
Being in a hurry does not make me productive. It does not make me a better employee,
husband or dad. In fact, it clouds the mind and limits a person from being their best.
Psalm 23 (1-3)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.
Phillip Keller in his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 points out that the vantage point of this Psalm is from the perspective of the sheep, not that of the shepherd.
"I shall not want" is a concept not held by many today. This verse is in sharp contrast to the song lyrics from Queen "I want it all, and I want it now!"
Notice the verse says, "He "makes" me lie down in green pastures." Have you ever felt God saying to you "that's enough, STOP" ? I felt that when I drilled the back of the semi.
I also felt that years ago when I had emergency eye surgery and the doctor said, "You must lay on your side for two weeks." Um, excuse me? I have things to do. I have a family, a job and a to-do list. God and the doctor agreed, you are going to lay on your side for two weeks.
Jon Weece is pastor at Southland Christian Church in Lexington, KY and recently did a series called "Central Park". Below are some points I took away:
A 1967 report to the U.S. Senate read "Labor-saving, time saving technology will change the way Americans work and live. Within 20 years people will be working 32 weeks a year on average, at a rate of 22 hours per week, so they can retire by the age of 40." It goes on to say "The number one challenge Americans will face with regard to time is what to do with all their excess time."
That report does not ring true for me or I would have retired five years ago.
Central Park in New York is a 843 acre paradise with 9,000 park benches. Psalm 23 is our Central Park, it is God inviting us to SLOW down.
Psalm 23 is typically read at funerals. However, it is not about death. The verse is about rest in life- NOW.
Think "Holy" not "Hurry".
"Few things will destroy spiritual vitality than the feeling of being rushed."
"We must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives" Dallas Willard.
I once heard a basketball coach say "go fast, but don't be in a hurry." The coach was stressing we don't make good decisions when we hurry.
Make time for God.
Alone time with God restores our soul.
The Psalm says, "He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul."
What still or quiet waters has God put in your life to restore your soul? Is it passing ball in the back yard with your kids? Is it that morning cup of coffee on the porch before your kids wake up-just you, God, and the birds chirping? Fishing? Hiking? Good conversation with an old friend? Have you had a good hearty laugh lately?
My car was towed to a garage. I went to the garage a couple days after the crash to pick up some things I had in my car before my car went to the junk yard. The man at the garage was very nice and had boxed up some miscellaneous papers. This gentlemen was an older no frills guy and had a younger employee with him. He and most of the responders that day knew I was a Christian. They made comments I should count my lucky stars or the man up stairs and I made a point to say I was blessed instead of using the word lucky.
He had purposely put one of my books on top of the stack and was pointing to the picture on the front of the book. He said, "Someone was looking over you that day." The picture he was pointing to was a picture of Jesus. It was a pretty neat moment in the office of that garage with a calendar of girls hanging on the wall beside our conversation.
You don't have to crash and hit a semi to slow down. You could just apply the words of David in Psalm 23, and accept God's invitation to slow down.
