A number of years ago and for the span of a decade, I commuted a half hour each way to and from the school where I taught.
Needless to say I saw all kinds of drivers: the speed demons and poke-alongs, the weavers and squeezers, the distracted and multi-taskers—each one an accident waiting to happen, each one confident that he or she was not.
One day a young man on a motorcycle whizzed by, darting between vehicles left and right in search of the fastest lane. This was not in near standstill traffic; it was on a stretch of Florida Turnpike where the speed limit is seventy.
Oh, Lord, I thought. Talk about an accident waiting to happen. That boy has no idea the danger he’s creating for himself and everyone else in his path.
A few minutes later I reached my exit and gasped aloud. Lying in the grass in the middle of the cloverleaf turn-off was that young motorcyclist, far separated from his twisted bike.
A few people were already hunched over him, perhaps from the nearby tollbooth area. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his leg move.
Every now and then that scene comes to mind. I imagine that young man as he straddled his cycle that morning, anxious to be on his way for another exhilarating trip of engine revving, speed, and clever maneuvering.
No doubt a trip to the hospital never even crossed his mind.
The young often do live in a fantasy world of invincibility. And those of us with a bit more life-experience shake our heads at their carelessness.
But fast-lane living isn’t the singular domain of speeders and teenage boys on motorcycles.
Even a retired schoolteacher like me can forget: life is fragile.
Not that I drive recklessly or take foolish chances.
But I am very capable of rushing through a to-do list and missing an opportunity to provide joy in someone else’s life. I can breeze right past the blessings-of-the-moment because I’m focused on something down the road.
I can even forget the values I hold dear, including attentiveness to God and loving compassion for others.
It is downright foolish of me to live in a fantasy of invincibility, as if there will always be plenty of tomorrows for attentiveness and compassion, while cruising along in the fast lane of frenzied activity.
Instead, I’d rather cup my hands around each day and:
- Find the wonder in the common. “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribable, magnificent world in itself” (Henry Miller).
- Take note of the everyday miracles. “Looking is the beginning of seeing” (Sister Corita Kent).
- Hug often. “Hugs are one of the reasons God gave us arms. So stretch out your arms to someone today…It will warm the heart of the giver and give light to the soul of the recipient” (Unknown).
- Laugh easily. “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God” (Karl Barth).
- Value every person. “The way we treat others is more about who we are, not who they are” (Unknown, emphasis added).
- Forgive quickly. “Forgiveness isn’t about letting the other person off the hook. It’s about keeping the hooks of bitterness from getting into you” (Gabrielle Bernstein).
- Avoid negativity. “Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negativity” (Unknown).
- Choose joy. “True contentment is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it” (G. K. Chesterton).
* * * * * * * * * *
Lord God, I have so much to be thankful for, including this cloudy, cozy day and the welcome chill in the air. I thank you for this moment, complete with winking candle, hazelnut coffee, and soft music to keep me company as I write.
Thank you also for the designated purpose you ordain for each person. Because I am still alive, you still have plans to fulfill through me, especially to bless others. And for that I am grateful as well.
Keep me mindful, I pray, that fast lane living is not only foolish, it is dangerous to my soul.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 19:21; Ephesians 2:10)
What will you cup your hands around today? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
(Art & photo credits: www.flickr.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org (3); http://www.flickr.com; Nancy Ruegg.)
From the Inside Out 
Love this, Thank you. Chesterton’s quotes are great. Have you ever watched “Father Brown” – a show based on one of his characters? I think you’d enjoy it. Netflix has five seasons.
Thank you, Woodtic. I agree–Chesterton was a master of the pithy quote. I have not seen “Father Brown;” I’ll have to check them out! Thank you for the tip.
Oh Nancy, your attitude of always learning/ever the teacher is an inspiration! What will I cup my hands around today? I’m going to have to think about that…
Thank you.
Thank you and you’re welcome, Jody!
So very true, Nancy. It is good to know like all of us we all get side tracked into the fast lane in our lives. What a blessing it is for our Father God to slow us down and show us what is important in our lives. We Praise and Thank Him for showing us His wisdom and guidance, always. When we are listening. Love to you and Steve, Janet
God does slow us down and show us what’s important, doesn’t he. With you I praise and thank him for sharing his wisdom and guiding us along. Precious gifts, indeed. Love to you, too, Janet!
This past weekend in Florida gave us all much cause to stop and ponder. How grateful we are for the many blessings God has bestowed on each of us and, even in times of hurricanes, we have an opportunity to reflect on what we are, whose we are, and our purpose in life. It also gives us an opportunity to think and care about those who are less fortunate…..the many who lost their homes, loved ones and possessions. What an awesome God we serve! Thanks for another great message. Love to you and Steve.
Steve and I were THRILLED to see Hurricane Irma lose steam as she hit the Florida coast; so very thankful the storm surge was not as great as predicted. We continue to pray for those who still must endure power outages and flood damage, including those in Houston.
wow rich post. Brought back memories for me of my first year after graduating from nursing and working in ER. My first DOA was a teen on a motorcycle. I will never forget his face. What will I hold dearly in my hands right now? I am blessed to be spending the weekend with three of my grandkids. I just want to savor the time with them. Happy weekend!
I cannot imagine being an ER nurse! God bless you for the years you served him in that capacity. You and I are spending our weekends similarly: our granddaughter is here for an overnight. Happy weekend indeed!
HI Nancy,
I am in California and we know all about traffic and speeders. Thanks for bring about the calm and peace that the Lord wants us to function in the midst of chaos. I am holding on to moments and spending more time in the present. I am very future-minded and planning what is ahead. I can often not enjoy a moment and miss the specialness of it.
Thank you, Gary
It’s a slow process (at least for me) to leave the fast lane for good and spend my time in the present, reveling in God’s gifts around me. Not that we should give up planning entirely (Proverbs 12:22b). Balance is key, as it always is. Sounds as though your experience is the same, Gary! Thank you for your comments.
“It is downright foolish of me to live in a fantasy of invincibility, as if there will always be plenty of tomorrows for attentiveness and compassion, while cruising along in the fast lane of frenzied activity.” Wonderful parable of life living at God’s pace and looking to see grace in the ordinary! A wonderful way to start my day with your reflections thank you Nancy!
And thank you, Jenneth for your encouragement. Praise God he used this post to start your day in a positive way!
Thank you, dearest Nancy, for this great reminder to live more intentionally. Also, thank you for the question. What will I cup in my hand today? After a jog this morning (actually I call it a wog), I stopped for a good while to pet my running companion Thor, a Great Dane. I felt so blessed to see him have a great time flopping through the fields and encouraging me to keep going. God’s beautiful moments come in so many different shapes and sizes, don’t they 🙂
I love coming by your place, Nancy! So encouraging!
I’m thinking your Heavenly Father is blessed to see you have a great time wogging with your Thor! (What a great word!) Yes, indeed, God’s beautiful moments come in many different shapes and sizes. The creativity and variety he brings to each day are most worthy of our praise and gratitude. So glad you find encouragement here, Heidi. I praise God for that, too.
It all comes down to ‘choice’, doesn’t it, Nancy? We need to make wise decisions to be more aware of what is right in front of us and to look at things from a different angle, ’embracing’ the blessings that we breeze right by! Today’s tendency of multitasking doesn’t serve us very well sometimes; it blurs the vision! I really loved this post and am grateful for the reminders!
I read somewhere that researchers have now determined multi-tasking is not all that efficient, it lowers the quality of what we’re trying to accomplish, and it definitely interferes with embracing the moment. So you’re right on track with the experts, Cheri! 🙂
Thanks, Nancy! It does make sense that the quality would suffer.