Driving to work is always a unique experience for me. The ever-changing beauty
of the countryside never ceases to fill me with a sense of awe towards my
Creator who cares so much for me.
One day as I entered the highway, I noticed something very peculiar: all of the
other vehicles on the road were actually driving the speed limit! "That's odd,"
I thought. "Have all the drivers in this town become law-abiding citizens?" To
my shame I have to confess that I was a bit annoyed. You see, I am speed demon
by nature, and the "slow" pace made me begin to wonder if I should be concerned
about exchanging my van for a horse and buggy!
That's when I noticed the car marked OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) hidden
amidst the other drivers, and suddenly I understood! Only the presence of the
OPP could bring about such dedication to following the speed limit!
I quickly resigned myself to having to "creep" the rest of the way to school and
joined the traffic a few cars behind the police car. Since I didn't have to pay
much attention to my driving (You know, no one to pass to maintain my high
speed!), I turned my attention to the drivers of the other vehicles around me.
Interestingly, all of their eyes were glued to the policeman. The drivers in
behind him were staring straight at him, and the ones ahead of him were keeping
an eye on him in their rearview mirrors! Everyone was so courteous and
respectful, that I had to admit it was actually quite a pleasure to drive among
such law-abiding citizens. Wow!
Then suddenly, speed increased and chivalry was replaced by the "I want to be in
the front" obsession, and faces, including my own, soured. Why the
transformation?
The OPP vehicle had exited the highway, leaving us to our own demise! The
expression, "When the cat's away, the mice will play" couldn't have been more
appropriate to the current condition of the highway!
This incident reminds me a bit of the highway of life. If we were only aware
that the supreme authority of the Universe, the Holy One, is constantly in our
midst, how different our behavior would be! But because He isn't a visible
entity, we hear things like:
"It's mine!"
"Nobody will ever know…"
"I can do whatever I want…"
"Leave me alone!"
And then, when God DOES make His presence known, the tone changes to: "Oops! I
didn't notice God was here. I'm sorry!"
We tend to be too centered on self, and not centered enough on God. How
different our world would be if we were more conscious of the presence of the
Holy One and if we would keep our eyes focused on Him as our guide and our
example. After all, He IS always among us, and He DOES see what we are doing:
"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and
laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." (Heb. 4:13 NASU)
Let's try to be more aware of the truth of 1 Cor 14:25: "God is really among
(us) you!" For Jesus Himself, said: "And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age." (Matt 28:20 NIV). If we would concentrate on Jesus as much
as the drivers I shared the highway with that day were concentrating on the OPP,
we would steadily be transformed to His likeness, and acting Christlike would
become second nature: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror
the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Cor 3:18 NASU); and "Let us fix
our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…" (Heb 12:2 NIV).
"Watch out! OPP ahead!"
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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