Stuck On Go
Title: Stuck On Go
Subject: Slow Down
"Stuck on Go"
For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him...
Psalms 103:14-17b (Revised Standard Version)
Ever had your accelerator stuck? I remember a school project my super-achiever daughter once had in elementary school. Laura's now a college graduate and has been married for a couple of years, so this was quite a while ago. For her project she had taken some pictures with the family camera. Now this was back in the day when you had to put film in the camera, take the pictures, remove the canister, and then take it down to the store to have the film developed.
Well, I had gotten to the part where the film was to be taken to the store. In fact, I had the little canister sitting right there on the front seat of my van, ready to be delivered. But first, as the mommy chauffeur, I had stops to make. Shopping at the grocery, dropping off books at the library, picking up my younger son at a friend's house. You get the picture. So with kids in tow and errands to run, I''d forgotten about that film for the moment.
Cruising down the road, I approached some traffic, took my foot off the accelerator and applied the brake. But my van did not slow down. Was something wrong with my brakes? No, it was the accelerator. It seemed stuck. With my precious children in the car, my mind began to race. What should I do? An intersection was quickly coming up. Maybe turning would slow the car down. By the grace of God, I had a green arrow and no traffic in front of me. I pulled on the steering wheel and flew through the turn, but there was no change. I was still running steady at 35 miles an hour. Now what? I put on my parking brake, flipped on my emergency flashers, and prayed for Jesus to help. I came to a hill and began to slow enough that I could reach down and jiggle the accelerator. Ah ha, I found the culprit! It was the film canister which had fallen on the floor and lodged under the accelerator. Finally, we were able to stop.
Remembering that day makes me think. What about us, spiritually? Are we stuck on constantly moving, hurrying down life's road, unable to stop to appreciate a sunset? Do we take time to be still and listen to God''s voice in our lives? Are we so busy "running errands" that we aren't encouraging one another?
John Spracklin is a special man who worked with Campus Crusade. At the young age of 33, just a few weeks ago, he died of a heart attack. It was a very short life but he packed a lot into those years, sharing the Gospel and pouring his life into others...not by being constantly on Go , but by stopping to take time with others. At his memorial service, his dear wife Jenny stood and encouraged us!
Then person after person got up to say how John had impacted their lives. Staying in touch, helping them in their walk with the Lord, being there at the lowest point of their lives. A friend in Texas, the soccer team he coached, couples from the Miami campus where he ministered, an uncle he called just an hour before John's death...they all spoke of how he had meant so much to them in their spiritual walk...of how John had taken the time to stop and listen and encourage.
When all is said and done, isn't that what life's about? Don't we also want to encourage one another, instead of being stuck on Go , unable to stop?
Under His wings,
Carol Lathe
Ciloa ... Encouraging one another as long as it is called Today!
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.
For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him...
Psalms 103:14-17b (Revised Standard Version)
Ever had your accelerator stuck? I remember a school project my super-achiever daughter once had in elementary school. Laura's now a college graduate and has been married for a couple of years, so this was quite a while ago. For her project she had taken some pictures with the family camera. Now this was back in the day when you had to put film in the camera, take the pictures, remove the canister, and then take it down to the store to have the film developed.
Well, I had gotten to the part where the film was to be taken to the store. In fact, I had the little canister sitting right there on the front seat of my van, ready to be delivered. But first, as the mommy chauffeur, I had stops to make. Shopping at the grocery, dropping off books at the library, picking up my younger son at a friend's house. You get the picture. So with kids in tow and errands to run, I''d forgotten about that film for the moment.
Cruising down the road, I approached some traffic, took my foot off the accelerator and applied the brake. But my van did not slow down. Was something wrong with my brakes? No, it was the accelerator. It seemed stuck. With my precious children in the car, my mind began to race. What should I do? An intersection was quickly coming up. Maybe turning would slow the car down. By the grace of God, I had a green arrow and no traffic in front of me. I pulled on the steering wheel and flew through the turn, but there was no change. I was still running steady at 35 miles an hour. Now what? I put on my parking brake, flipped on my emergency flashers, and prayed for Jesus to help. I came to a hill and began to slow enough that I could reach down and jiggle the accelerator. Ah ha, I found the culprit! It was the film canister which had fallen on the floor and lodged under the accelerator. Finally, we were able to stop.
Remembering that day makes me think. What about us, spiritually? Are we stuck on constantly moving, hurrying down life's road, unable to stop to appreciate a sunset? Do we take time to be still and listen to God''s voice in our lives? Are we so busy "running errands" that we aren't encouraging one another?
John Spracklin is a special man who worked with Campus Crusade. At the young age of 33, just a few weeks ago, he died of a heart attack. It was a very short life but he packed a lot into those years, sharing the Gospel and pouring his life into others...not by being constantly on Go , but by stopping to take time with others. At his memorial service, his dear wife Jenny stood and encouraged us!
Then person after person got up to say how John had impacted their lives. Staying in touch, helping them in their walk with the Lord, being there at the lowest point of their lives. A friend in Texas, the soccer team he coached, couples from the Miami campus where he ministered, an uncle he called just an hour before John's death...they all spoke of how he had meant so much to them in their spiritual walk...of how John had taken the time to stop and listen and encourage.
When all is said and done, isn't that what life's about? Don't we also want to encourage one another, instead of being stuck on Go , unable to stop?
Under His wings,
Carol Lathe
Ciloa ... Encouraging one another as long as it is called Today!
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.