CLEOEJACKSONIII.COM
  • My Home Page
  • My Life and Ministry
  • My Ongoing Thoughts
  • My Favorite Bible Verses
  • My Favorite Stories
  • My Favorite Jokes
  • My Favorite Quotations
  • My Favorite Web Links
  • My Contact Info
"Helping Others Communicate"

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE!

3/18/2019

 
A hit song a generation ago bears the title I have appropriated for my post today.  It came to me as I was driving home from my recent trip to Atlanta.  I had made the trip down over spring break for a whole host of reasons.

First, I needed to follow up on my mother’s headstone. As my regular readers are aware, she passed away last year.  Her memorial has now been installed; and I might add that the company that prepared and installed it did an excellent job.

Secondly, my stepfather had cataract surgery.  Given that two of my uncles are overcoming recent illnesses, I needed to go down and see them all.  Lastly, my twin interests in history in general and in genealogy in particular have combined to make me somewhat of the family historian.  All of these reasons together compelled me to take some time to make a visit down to my home state of Georgia.

Of course, Georgia has changed a lot since I moved to Tennessee nearly two decades ago.  The population has greatly increased.  And with this has come numerous other changes.  Each time I go home, there are more and more people, and thus more and more houses and businesses, and above all, traffic!

Traffic is so congested in Atlanta that, as is the case in most other large metropolitan areas, special traffic rules have been put into place.  One of these is the HOV lane.  For those from less congested parts of the nation, HOV stands for “High Occupancy Vehicle”. 

In an attempt to discourage excess traffic and encourage carpooling, the left lanes of all three of Atlanta’s intersecting Interstate Expressways (I-75, I-85, and I-20) are all closed to any vehicle containing only one person (with the exception of motorcycles).

Thus, when headed down to my home town south of Atlanta with my wife, we took advantage of this lane, especially as it tends to keep moving swifter than its counterparts. We sailed right through Atlanta with little difficulty.  However, on the way back north to Tennessee, my wife rode as far as the north Georgia Mountains with my sister, who was doing some buying for her home interior business.

This put me in a vehicle by myself.  It also kept me out of the HOV lane.  Even worse, it put me in a position of stop and go interstate traffic while I watched with envy those who were zipping by me in the HOV lane. 

Only too late did I realize that this whole scenario might have been concocted by my sister before she asked my wife to ride with her – thus putting her in the fast lane while I was left to putt along in all the congestion! (If I were texting here, I would place the little emoji that is making the face like it is puzzling over something! Hmmmm!!!)

But the Lord used this experience to speak to me.  To begin with, as we make our way through life, we can either travel alone or with others. This much is clear.  Travelling with others is much preferable to travelling alone!

However, even when we are alone, we do not have to be.  For in the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 13, verse 5), our Lord has promised never to leave us nor to forsake us.  Imagine that!  The resurrected Savior and Lord of all creation, Jesus Christ Himself, has given us His personal promise to abide with us! 

And for this reason, no matter what we come against, no matter the difficulty, no matter the struggle, no matter the opposition, we do not face it alone!  God Himself is here with us, empowering and encouraging us as we go forth to victory!

Most of those zipping by me last week in the HOV lane were doing just that - they were zipping on by.  I envied them for that. But more significantly, they were merrily interacting with others as they did.  I envied them even more for this!

That is not to say that they did not have difficulties themselves, that they did not have deadlines to meet, or that they did not have frustrations or fears of their own to face.  It is to say that, as they were travelling along, they were not travelling alone!  They each had a companion for their journey.

And as I go through life, I am well aware that I will always face my own share of difficulties.  Being a born-again believer does not keep me from facing my own fears and frustrations.  But this much I know – because of Jesus Christ, I do not have to face these things alone!  While I may be beset with the traffic of life all around me, I am not boxed in.  Nor do I have to bog down with the burden. 

Rather, together with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I can make my way forward on the road of life with a peace that passes all understanding.  And the sole difference is His very presence with me as I journey along!  The same can be true for you.

This being March 18, I leave you with the famed prayer of St. Patrick, who is purported to have prayed:

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
of the Lord of creation.


Amen!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: 

https://biblehub.com/hebrews/13-5.htm.

PRAYER OF PATRICK SOURCE:

https://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/morning/the-prayer-of-st-patrick.aspx#wVR43LgWl6sC0zoR.99.

Comments are closed.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All