I was driving back home, burdened and praying for a
hurting colleague. Unaware that the traffic light had turned red, I drove right
through it. Unfortunately, I was also unaware of the police car that watched me
do it. In fact, I barely noticed when he made a 180 degree turn, and only
gradually became aware that he had pulled up behind me. A worship song was in my
heart, and I was thankful for the presence of the Lord. Inner peace filled my
entire being.
Naturally his red light soon came on, but panic did
not invade me like it used to do. I pulled over calmly, with just one prayer:
"Give me strength to face this with grace."
"License, insurance and vehicle registration, please,"
stated the polite officer.
I have to admit that while I was patiently waiting for
him, I couldn't help wondering what would happen if I suddenly raced away, just
like my dad
once did when being chased by a police cruiser. I
guess it must be in my genes! But naw, I decided, that's him, not me! And
despite these thoughts, inner peace continued to reign in my heart and I
realized the words to a worship song were continuing to resound in my mind.
"Thank you, Lord, for helping me remain calm," I prayed. "Oh Lord, I couldn't be
in better hands!"
The officer came back and looked me straight in the
eyes: "I will just give you a warning this time. Don't do it again!"
For some reason I uttered these words: "I am so sorry.
I didn't even realize that I was running a red light until I was half-way
through the intersection."
Talk about saying the wrong thing to a police officer!
With that "wonderful" excuse, he would more than likely change his mind and give
me a super big fine!
Instead he looked at me and smiled. "Yeah. Running a
red light results in a 260
$ traffic fine. But it is clear you didn't commit this
infraction purposefully, and there was no accident. We try to look at the
intentions of the driver as well. Have a good day!"
It sure was a good day, thanks to God! I discovered
that day the power of these words "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving
thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Eph 5:19-20 NIV)
Thankfulness and making music in the heart go hand in
hand, and it is always accompanied by inner peace! Even amidst adversity we can
be thankful, for God uses such opportunities to draw us closer to Him.
I also learned that day that grace is alive, and it is
that grace that comes from God that gives us that such needed inner peace, even
amidst adversities.
"Thank you Lord for being so real to us. We really
have nothing to fear. You are our best friend. I love you Lord!"
What kind of song is playing in your heart right now?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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