Aim High
It has been years since I took Drivers’ Ed classes, but since Lavon has started driving, I have tried to remember some of the pearls of wisdom I learned some 26 years ago. I remember some of the lame films we watched that were supposed to sharpen our senses when on the road. I also remember turning the corner one day to see the other Drivers’ Ed car in the middle of the intersection - on fire! (No fault of the student). I remember how uncomfortable “10 and 2” is and how I've always preferred “11 and 1”…although I now mostly prefer to drive with one hand. We learned some anagram that was supposed to help us remember about 5 safety tips, but all that really stuck with me was the phrase “aim high in steering”. The point they were trying to make was that you can’t see what’s ahead if you don’t look ahead. This also helps to stay in one lane without weaving because you don't have to make as many corrections in steering.
I have found this to be good advice in many areas of life. When mowing my lawn, I like to mow at different angles so that the grass doesn’t lay down one way, like the nap on a carpet. I think that it also makes that yard look nicer (and my yard needs all the help it can get) to see the straight lines and patterns. However, when going from one side to the other, or diagonally from one corner to the other, it can be very difficult to mow in a straight line. When I look at the line from my last pass, and try to keep one wheel just outside that line, I find that my path tends to curve or weave. It looks like a blind man tried to mow my grass. This is where Drivers’ Ed comes in handy. If I can focus on a reference point at the far end of the yard, I tend to mow in a much straighter line.
The same is true in our every day Christian walks. Often we try to look at the road right in front of our feet to avoid all the pitfalls and potholes that clutter our way. When we do this we weave back and forth, like a ship tossed by the waves. James tells us that this is cause by doubt. James 1:6. We get so worried about the immediate, that we don’t see what’s coming off in the distance. We tend to change our focus from one pothole or obstacle to the next and forget about our destination. It happens to the best of us. Just look at Peter in Matthew 14. When he stepped out of that boat he was driven by one thought, “I must reach Jesus”; but then Satan slapped him with a wave or two and he began to be distracted again by the immediate threat of the storm and not on the safe and secure harbor of the arms of his Savior – all because of doubts.
Take some time to refocus. God has promised that he would NEVER leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5. The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3. If we want to stay on the straight and narrow road that leads to life (Matthew 7:14), we need to focus on the finish line.
I have found this to be good advice in many areas of life. When mowing my lawn, I like to mow at different angles so that the grass doesn’t lay down one way, like the nap on a carpet. I think that it also makes that yard look nicer (and my yard needs all the help it can get) to see the straight lines and patterns. However, when going from one side to the other, or diagonally from one corner to the other, it can be very difficult to mow in a straight line. When I look at the line from my last pass, and try to keep one wheel just outside that line, I find that my path tends to curve or weave. It looks like a blind man tried to mow my grass. This is where Drivers’ Ed comes in handy. If I can focus on a reference point at the far end of the yard, I tend to mow in a much straighter line.
The same is true in our every day Christian walks. Often we try to look at the road right in front of our feet to avoid all the pitfalls and potholes that clutter our way. When we do this we weave back and forth, like a ship tossed by the waves. James tells us that this is cause by doubt. James 1:6. We get so worried about the immediate, that we don’t see what’s coming off in the distance. We tend to change our focus from one pothole or obstacle to the next and forget about our destination. It happens to the best of us. Just look at Peter in Matthew 14. When he stepped out of that boat he was driven by one thought, “I must reach Jesus”; but then Satan slapped him with a wave or two and he began to be distracted again by the immediate threat of the storm and not on the safe and secure harbor of the arms of his Savior – all because of doubts.
Take some time to refocus. God has promised that he would NEVER leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5. The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3. If we want to stay on the straight and narrow road that leads to life (Matthew 7:14), we need to focus on the finish line.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2
posted by Carl Wheeler at 1:11 AM
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