Cross-Town Traffic

I love driving. Traffic I can handle. Knucklehead drivers are short-lived, for paybacks are rough. Yesterday morning, though, I think I nearly came to a breaking point. The morning started out a little rough, quickly got a more frustrating, then the headache started. When I thought it was over, it turns out 20 minutes later, there was one more "you've got to be kidding me" moment. Sure enough... it was Monday alright.

Major construction zones involving a major freeway shutdown between to other freeways (even if it is only one direction) does not mix well with morning rush-hour traffic.

Not on any day ending in -"day", let alone Mondays. I was not happy.  So much so, that at 8.19am, I texted a friend.

"I am so ready to go home."

Barely two hours into the day.  Later in the day, I told a guy I felt like I had had a birthday... as if the frustration of the morning's events had actually aged me. I should have my kids count the gray hairs in my gotee and we could keep a runny tally. That counts for some math homework, doesn't it?

Okay Conlin. Make the connection.

In my moment of angst, I realized what was happening. People were so concerned, like I was about avoiding the back-ups, that we started looking for other routes. Of course, there's only so many places you can go, so with everyone having the same idea, we all quickly found ourselves where we didn't want to be... part of a bigger back-up. So thinking it's not worth the hassle, you figure out what to do next. Then thinking you might be okay and can make up some time, perhaps you inadvertently make a wrong turn... too late now. You're gonna have to ride this out for a moment before you can correct it. And of course the correction takes a few more minutes. Plus... still more traffic. We've all been there. There's usually someone in the seat next to you offering a map or your GPS is chiming it's favorite word: "Recalculating".

Next thing you know... is this how the nation of Israel felt for 40 years?

You try to make the best and the most of difficult situations only to discover your solutions aren't really all that great. In fact, in the short term, they lead to greater headaches. In the end, they turn out to be not much of a solution.... at least not without some finesse and "tweaking". No matter how much experience you've picked up during your travels of this life and the roads there, you've quickly learned as I have (and was reminded again) that hindsight is 20/20. Which is all the more reason, no matter what the circumstances, we continually, daily, constantly call out to God, seek His face, ask for what we have need of and praise Him while we trust in Him. No matter what the distractions, detours and the frustrations; may prompt in us and cause us to react. The traffic will cease. Eventually.

Join us, this #associatePastorTuesday... that there would be a peace and a presence in the lives of our pastors, that speaks volumes to the truth that God is not caught off guard by those things meant to distract, detour and derail them. May their spirits be lifted above the noise and confusion; may their focus be clear; their purpose united. May the cares of life not consume their minds, or weigh their hearts, but that they would draw nearer to God; casting their cares on Him, for He cares for them. Pray the stress subsides and the storms will calm.. the traffic will clear and the days will get better.

For the glory of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit. For the cause of Jesus Christ.

- PNC

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