This... Is Not Your Exit

Yesterday afternoon, I had to wait for the guy coming alongside the driver side of my vehicle to pass, so that I could get out of the lane I was in....marked as an "exit only" lane.

After safely moving over, I had a "thanks...that was not my exit" moment. I had to laugh as I reflected on the great scene from Turner & Hooch. Tom Hanks' character has just taken possession of junkyard dog "Hooch", whose owner was murdered. Hanks' character, best described as "spotless", walks Hooch through the house that first night, laying down the rules of the house, stepping into each room and ending each series of rules with the words, "This... Is Not Your Room."

Kids and teenagers are rough. And that was when I was a kid... and a teenager, for that matter. Figure out what to do in life, where to go and with whom. Lots of wrong turns, turns-around, and parking at a corner gas station trying to figure out which way you were supposed to be heading. I love driving and always have, long before I ever got my license. I still have the aforementioned moments. Both on the road and in life decisions.

I can only hope I do well by God with the inheritance of children that He has entrusted to me and my wife. And I can pray for the pastors, teachers and advisers they will have in their lifetime. So there you have. Pay attention on the road. Watch for the correct exits and entrances. And pray. While driving. It helps. All of it. You should try it.

Pray, this #youthPastorWednesday, for wisdom, as children and youth pastors preach, teach and counsel young people. Pray for their effectiveness in helping to teach and reinforce the life-long skill of decision-making combined with a lifestyle of prayer. Pray for discernment in handling the moments of wrong turns and figuring out the right direction, both in their own lives and in the lives of the youth they serve. Pray the proper understanding of reading and interpreting life's road signs. May the grace of God overshadow the frustrations of the journey.. For life is a journey. Eternity is the destination.

For the grace of God. For the cause of Christ. A generation of discerning, alert and skilled drivers of life, who place greater trust in God than their own abilities regardless of their years of knowledge and experience. May the know how to use the truth of Scripture and the prompting of the Holy Spirit as their GPS and trust-worthy road map.

-PNC

---