Living in the fourth-largest metropolitan area of the US means home assignment has included a lot of sitting in traffic. My errand-running looks completely different than walking around a 30-acre center. As I was inching forward last week on my way downtown, I was reminded of a few truths about the Christian life.
When I see the highway at a standstill, I tend to think the worst. I think the entire highway system is a parking lot. I think that my entire route is a red line in the map app, and that the time estimate is reading 54 hours instead of 45 minutes. But, alas, that has never actually been the case. I have to zoom out and consider things from a bigger perspective.
I need the drivers in the cars flying by the other direction to tell me that it won’t always be like this. I always talk to those in the traffic when I’m on the side of the highway moving. (Even though I know they don’t hear me, I talk a lot to people in other cars.) I say, “It’s okay. It’s a really brief backup. You’ll be going in no time” or “You’re going to be like that for awhile and it looks bad up there, but help is there and it’s going to be okay” or “There is absolutely no apparent reason for your slowdown, but it does indeed clear up. You’ll make it home” or “Maybe take a minute to look at the map and figure out a side road” or “Somebody with more knowledge than any of us is rerouting you. It’ll be okay” or perhaps even sing a little “Be patient. Be patient. Don’t be in such a hurry.”
In the Christian life, I need to be reminded of these things when stuck in a situation that isn’t ideal or moving the way that was planned. I need to zoom out and look to God’s Word and God’s people to remind me of the truth of the scenario. They remind me that there is help, that things do get better even if the route changes, and that the big picture is way bigger than I can see or imagine.
I’m thankful that God is reminding me of good things through traffic since I’m doing a lot of sitting in it these days.