Do you ever take life for granted? You know what I'm talking about. You stop looking at everything you have as a great gift from God, but rather as a given that you deserve. No longer is your job a blessing, but a drudgery that you have to go to every day. What was once a vibrant relationship with the Creator has become an understanding that He is there, but only as much as you want Him to be.
I was going through a time like that. I finished my last seminary class last Friday, and since all of my work was turned in before that, when I left campus, I was officially done with seminary. I was proud of myself, and ready to go out and do what I wanted to do. I didn't see my training as a blessing of God preparing me for the ministry and life He has planned for me; I saw it as a step in the path that lead me to where I wanted to go.
So I went about my life how I wanted to. And that's when God decided to give my life a spin.
Literally.
I was driving to work at about 3 on Monday afternoon. Driving in Dallas is always an experience, but this particular trip would prove to be the most memorable. As I came off an exit ramp and looked to merge left, a car flew up on my left side, pulls directly in front of me (where there really wasn't room), and then slams on the brakes. With nothing else to do, I tried to get into the now empty lane to my left, but had to slam on my brakes so as not to crash into the (really expensive) car directly in front of me. The combination of turning my wheel, hitting the brakes, and borderline frozen pavement sent me spinning. My car started spinning to the right while traveling to the left before my wheels caught (I was steering in the direction of the skid). I immediately started spinning left and traveling back in the direction I came from (and then some). I spun two and a half rotations traveling right across three lanes of traffic, then another quarter turn back before coming to a gentle stop on the shoulder, safely between some construction cones and a few yards from a flashing construction sign.
Pretty frightening, right?
But get this - I didn't hit anything. No cars smashed into me. Never hit a guard rail. Never hit a traffic cone. Didn't blow a tire. No injuries. Nothing.
Did I mention it was 3 PM, the beginning of Dallas rush hour? I was by no means the only car on the road, yet I never hit or got hit by anything.
All at once I realized two things. First, I realized that God has plans for me that did not include me getting killed on Monday. Second, they are God's plans, and they are a blessing to be a part of, so I need to live my life accordingly, giving credit where it is due and seeking to glorify Him in all that I do.
As I realize that there is no other reason for me to be alive and healthy today than God's provision and protection, I wonder if maybe you are taking life for granted as well. Maybe you feel as though you are going through the motions of life, not really having much purpose in what you are doing. Now would be a great time to turn to the Father who loves you and dedicate your life to serving Him. Otherwise He may use other means to get your attention. And sometimes that doesn't feel so good...but serving the Lord brings a greater joy than we can ever imagine.
