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The Dreaded Task of Driving

Psalm 105:2-4

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.

One of the beauties of being associated with the military is traveling throughout the world. On the flip side, one of the curses is driving in some hectic cities. I have had the privilege of driving in L.A., San Diego, Seattle, Norfolk, London, England, and the Maryland area. One thing I have learned about driving is there will always be a bob and weave personality, pull out and stop, multi-tasker, it is all about me and the dreaded road-rage. It just takes one perceived rude driver to start a chain reaction from all these personalities. A pull out and stop driver could cause a multi-tasker to swerve, causing everyone to apply brakes quickly. That may induce an impatient soul to begin to bob and weave for a better, faster lane. In turn, this could lead to extreme anger in drivers who feel they are being cut off and disrespected, prompting full-grown adults feeling they need to box in and punish the bob and weaver. The result of these all about me moments is every driver behind this chain reaction of extreme personalities must endure the dreaded task of driving. Just reading these words, for many, brings on heart palpitations and uneasy memories of driving. Maybe the horrific event was even this morning. Unfortunately, our society requires most people to have to drive to work, stores, or recreation.
I drive an hour to most places I volunteer. Every single time a person finds out where I live, the comment is the same. “Wow, you drive an hour?” As if to say, “You are either crazy or dedicated.” The funny thing is an over-zealous driver; most of the time, does not affect my mood. I can’t say that has always been the case. The reason my spirit is not affected now is I have finally learned to make driving a mission. Driving for me is a time to have one-on-one time with God. It is kind of difficult to spew hatred at another driver when you’re chatting with your God. Now, you can do it, but the response time for conviction is usually instantaneous. Singing praise and worship will keep your heart glad and will help you resist fits of rage. Spending time with God keeps me from becoming one of the dreaded participants of crazy driving.
Now, I still don’t like stormy weather on dark country roads. Nor do I like anxiety-filled moments from dangerous drivers. What I do like is my recovery time. By spending time with God, I have discovered that I don’t harbor the anxieties from driving and allow it to sway my day. I find that I am not walking into my job, ranting about my driving experience. It is nice to look at people and say, “Yes, I enjoy my hour of driving because I can spend it with God.” Now some people give me an understanding smile, while others give me a half-smile shrug. To the half-smile shrug people, I suggest you try it. Put some praise and worship music on in the background and say, “Good morning God.” Let the conversation go from there. You may find that your required drive soon becomes a delightful event.

The Dreaded Task of Driving
Psalm 105:2-4
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.
One of the beauties of being associated with the military is traveling throughout the world. On the flip side, one of the curses is driving in some hectic cities. I have had the privilege of driving in L.A., San Diego, Seattle, Norfolk, London, England, and the Maryland area. One thing I have learned about driving is there will always be a bob and weave personality, pull out and stop, multi-tasker, it is all about me and the dreaded road-rage. It just takes one perceived rude driver to start a chain reaction from all these personalities. A pull out and stop driver could cause a multi-tasker to swerve, causing everyone to apply brakes quickly. That may induce an impatient soul to begin to bob and weave for a better, faster lane. In turn, this could lead to extreme anger in drivers who feel they are being cut off and disrespected, prompting full-grown adults feeling they need to box in and punish the bob and weaver. The result of these all about me moments is every driver behind this chain reaction of extreme personalities must endure the dreaded task of driving. Just reading these words, for many, brings on heart palpitations and uneasy memories of driving. Maybe the horrific event was even this morning. Unfortunately, our society requires most people to have to drive to work, stores, or recreation.
I drive an hour to most places I volunteer. Every single time a person finds out where I live, the comment is the same. “Wow, you drive an hour?” As if to say, “You are either crazy or dedicated.” The funny thing is an over-zealous driver; most of the time, does not affect my mood. I can’t say that has always been the case. The reason my spirit is not affected now is I have finally learned to make driving a mission. Driving for me is a time to have one-on-one time with God. It is kind of difficult to spew hatred at another driver when you’re chatting with your God. Now, you can do it, but the response time for conviction is usually instantaneous. Singing praise and worship will keep your heart glad and will help you resist fits of rage. Spending time with God keeps me from becoming one of the dreaded participants of crazy driving.
Now, I still don’t like stormy weather on dark country roads. Nor do I like anxiety-filled moments from dangerous drivers. What I do like is my recovery time. By spending time with God, I have discovered that I don’t harbor the anxieties from driving and allow it to sway my day. I find that I am not walking into my job, ranting about my driving experience. It is nice to look at people and say, “Yes, I enjoy my hour of driving because I can spend it with God.” Now some people give me an understanding smile, while others give me a half-smile shrug. To the half-smile shrug people, I suggest you try it. Put some praise and worship music on in the background and say, “Good morning God.” Let the conversation go from there. You may find that your required drive soon becomes a delightful event.



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