The Queen of Cruise Control!

The speed limit was clearly marked. 55 miles per hour. Everyone else was going at least 70.

Suddenly, 55 didn’t seem so fast anymore.

Why are there speed limits anyway, Lord? I don’t believe it’s just to “cramp” our style. Aren’t they primarily intended for safety — at least, under normal weather and road conditions?

If either of these is compromised, all bets are off.

Why was everyone around us violating them? Only You know for sure, Lord. What proved more interesting to me was the dynamic inside our car… all because I was daring to drive at the speed limit.

Just call me The Queen of Cruise Control.  🙂

Here’s just some of what I heard from my fellow passengers:

Everybody else is speeding and getting away with it. Why shouldn’t you?… You can safely go 60, or even 65. If the cops do pull anyone over, it won’t be you… Just this once. We’re running late and we need to make up for lost time…

You’re such a goody-two shoes… What do you think others are saying about you?… Will we EVER get to where we’re going???

Is going the speed limit really a big deal? Short of getting pulled over for a speeding ticket, does anyone really care? I guess You did, Lord. Because You pulled another one of Your “Whisper Shouts” on me.

A whisper so loud, at least to my spiritual ears, that I couldn’t possibly ignore it.

This was all just a metaphor… wasn’t it, Lord?

Demonstrating how similar our human objections are to the more important rules (commands, guidelines) You lay out. When they come from You, we can be sure they will help us navigate safely through Life…

… if we honor them.

How often have we heard (or even said) the same words I heard today? When skating at the edge of (or blowing right past) the guardrails You so lovingly put in place, Lord?

Guardrails we ignore or defy when we sin… Why shouldn’t we?… What we’re doing is nothing compared to what others are doing… Just this once. We won’t make a habit of it…

Or guardrails we honor, despite the crowd’s rebuke…

You’re so old school. That will never fly today… You’d better not let other people hear you. They might think you’re a _____ [fill in the blank with some derogatory label]… Can’t you just be normal? Like everyone else?

And on our spiritual highways… Maybe 60 or 65 is not so bad compared to 55. But when does 60 or 65 become the new Normal? And when does the new Normal start to feel slow again? Compared to those who are still speeding by?

What then?

The Queen of Cruise Control. Today, at least. If only I could become The Queen of Christ Control. Under Christ’s control. Totally surrendered. Relentlessly obedient. Victoriously free.

Not just today… but every day. Wouldn’t that be something?!   🙂

“His divine power has given us everything we need… Therefore, make every effort… ” (2 Peter 1:3-11)

God speed… !!! (No pun intended?)  🙂  🙂  🙂

Abba’s Girl

10 Comments

  • Shirley MacKenzie says:

    I am a strict speed limit driver, and it drives others crazy, as I am a “slow poke”. They just increased the speed limit on our road to 65, but when you get to town (9 miles away), and then turn on the regular speed limit of 55, you DO feel like you are crawling, and that is where the “cruise control” helps. I agree with you, compromise in life, whether it be the speed you drive, or the morals you might question in today’s world, can be a dangerous choice.

    • Diana Furr says:

      I’m with you, Shirley. It’s a little disconcerting to realilze how quickly our internal “speedometer” resets. All the more reason why we need to be careful how we speed through Life… Amen?

  • Debbie L says:

    Love this! I will say we do go 5 mph over just to keep from getting run over….but now you’re making me rethink it! We do use cruise control but I’m with you, I long to be under Christ Control!!! ❤️

  • Paul J Scruton says:

    Love this

  • Carolyn Van Ooteghem says:

    This reminded me of a time I was leading a discussion group with Bible questions. One of the questions asked, “Do you have an area where you continually sin?” All the ladies around the group looked very proper and no one said anything! I couldn’t resist: How about speeding? Immediate confession time and all the proper expressions relaxed into truth! Good for you, my sister, setting the example! Love you!

    • Diana Furr says:

      So glad you broke through! 🙂 But all kidding aside… Isn’t it sobering how easy it is for us to rationalize our own actions, to the point we don’t even recognize when we’re outside of God’s boundaries? Think about what was considered out-of-bounds (by society’s standards) 50 years ago. How has the bar moved today? Who changed? God… or us?

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