I felt like a teenager again- and not in a good way.

Dressing for court in my most grown-up ensemble and bringing along the boy for moral support (or a scared straight tactic…whichever…) I faced a judge for the first time in my driving career last summer. Mercifully, he granted driving school for the speeding ticket I was given months before.

Looking back, the tendency to speed could be genetic…

Eager to be redeemed in the eyes of the court and put the whole ordeal behind me, I came straight home, changed into my comfy clothes and hit the books- burying myself in the online curriculum and prepping for the test (!) I would have to take on a public computer at the end of my lessons.

Later that night, after passing the exam, I pushed through the library doors into the humid evening air and laughed as I caught the reflection of my t-shirt in the glass, “Welcome to Mayberry” it declared above a 50’s style police cruiser and these sentiments below:

“Life is short. Enjoy the Ride.”

The refresher course in defensive driving took me back to all the studying I did in high school and dredged up miles of memories like navigating friendships, getting up to speed with computers and charting the right course in my choice of classes.

Challenging stuff at any age.

Finishing with honors, I stood before the whole graduating class to give my valedictory speech. With enormous pouf-y bangs peaking out from beneath the mortar board cap, and as much wisdom as a shaky 18 year old could muster, I held up a shiny silver quarter and likened it to life.

Much like the coin, we can spend life any way we wish, but we can only spend it once.

And here I was almost 20 years later, spending it in court fees and a million other ways I never imagined.

That fast pace and skewed focus was costing me my peace and I wanted it back.

Some seasons feel long and bumpy and enjoyment seems a long way off. We get so busy lamenting what we’re missing and rushing around chasing the lies of “if only I had more time, tools, sleep, money, schooling, help, room, exercise, or quiet, things would go so much smoother.”

Never grasping that this is it.

One small life. So short in its dusks and dawns. A blip on the radar of eternity.

To spend it always fast forwarding to the next minute or hour or year is blasphemy to the one who numbers our days.

And never grasping that instant gratification isn’t gratifying at all because your hope and your endurance has no time to develop in the waiting and the longing.

To eradicate hurry and rush is a struggle but a necessary practice.

It hasn’t been an easy or pretty process mind you, growing up is always awkward… curly hair and all..

As with any habit, there’s practice in involved and lessons to hold on to.

There are plenty of pains, ugly cries and correction. (I had all of those and more just in relation to that ticket..!)

We have to learn to slow down.

We have to relearn who in charge.

{Contrary to popular belief, it’s not us…}

We have to magnify our great God not our meager circumstances.

 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, PRAY about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. THEN you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

The song was right- oh what peace we often forfeit…all because we don’t still ourselves often enough to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer.

When we surrender control to the Master we gain life. When we choose to speak life, He grants us peace. With peace, we slow down and gain traction.

Are you waiting on the Lord or rolling full speed ahead?

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:30-31

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