So yesterday I got a speeding ticket on my way to church and I realized a few things about life…

Don’t be in a rush to arrive.
Often we think we have to rush to every destination not realizing that doing so causes an unnecessary sense of overwhelm we were never meant to experience. Sure you get a rush from working under pressure but you lose the benefit of taking deep breaths because you’re always bracing yourself for excitement. Every journey won’t be exciting but you’ll miss the experience needed trying to make it exciting.

Don’t be pressed to keep up with the flow of traffic.
Paying attention to the other cars can make you feel an anxiety to keep up. Focusing on the other cars provides an anxious awareness that only sets you up to move beyond your boundaries. Trying to keep up instead of choosing to do your own thing will always move you into situations that are not good for you. So what they’re speeding, they are also breaking the law. They are increasing their chances of an accident. Being careful saves you a costly consequence. Take your time.

When you feel late, you will always try to rush the journey.
We have this idea that speeding shortens the trip. Your time may seem redeemed but you still had to hit every bump, pass every exit, switch every lane, stop at every light. Your journey was not shorter just because you sped your way through it. What was shorter was the time you had to enjoy it. You only shortened the time between this hazard and another. You didn’t learn a lesson faster, you may have avoided it for the time being but the re-test is always harder than the first one. Don’t fail trying to speed.

Carelessness is a sign of the unprepared and it always has a consequence.
If I would have just got out of bed about 30 mins earlier, I could have avoided this. I stayed up late Saturday too, I should have ironed my clothes and made sure everything was taken care of…but I was careless and unprepared. My lack of preparation caused me to feel the need to speed. Carelessness is costly and is a sign of the unprepared and undisciplined. The mistakes you make in carelessness will cost you in multiple ways. Make time for preparation.

You have been given limits for a reason.
Humans are not unlimited. Boundaries are placed in our lives to save us from ourselves. My Pastor said this yesterday and it blessed me “Grace is the guardrails that lead us back to God.” Getting that ticket yesterday reminded me to slow down and take my time. I realized just how much panic I’d been living in. Always in a rush to get to a destination and not realizing that I was rushing to an end I wasn’t prepared for. Slow down in life. Don’t waste time but take time to craft the things that matter. Relationships, careers, brands, skills…they all take time if they are meant to last. Don’t rush.

You may not be the only one speeding but you may be the only one to get caught.
I hated sitting on the side of the road watching other cars speed by but I realized my journey is different. My grace is tailored for me. So even when it seems I’m not being shown grace, I am because I needed this ticket to show me this lesson to share with you all. Stop resenting your journey. On Wednesday, my praise and worship leader, Michael, admonished us to take our time. He prayed against car accidents too. Wednesday, while running late, a young lady who was speeding almost caused an accident with me and two other vehicles. Her rushing could have cost me my life. On Sunday, as soon as I saw the Sergeant’s lights…I heard Mike’s voice “take your time…” If only I would have been more in tune that morning. On Sundays I rest in God’s presence as I prepare for worship. This Sunday my whole routine was off because I was rushing. Rushing disturbs your rest and your routine.

All in all, stop speeding. Enjoy the journey, your journey, the journey that God so strategically created for you. There is grace for your journey so stop coveting that of someone else. It’s amazing we want grace to walk out someone else’s ordered steps. Choose your journey, if for no other reason, God thought that you were qualified enough, strong enough, brave enough, smart enough, faithful enough for it. He equips who He qualifies. He qualifies who He calls. You have it in you. Take your time.