God led me through my archives, and I found this. My son is now a senior in college and has driven this trip many times without me. But even though it was written three years ago, it applies to my today. I wondered if it were just for me until I got the end and discovered our Bite of Bread verse for Tuesday. Maybe you need to read it too. Maybe this is for your today.
July 2011:
As I drove out of our neighborhood at 6:00 AM to drive to freshmen orientation at NC State before 8:30 (leaving no margin) I noticed a warning light in my car. After returning home, we found a nail in a tire.
Don’t you hate it when that happens?
There was no time for repair, so we changed cars. Now, I’m thankful we had another car, but the one available was a 5-speed manual which I can drive but not confidently, so Stephen was the driver. (It’ his car.) He had never driven to Raleigh or in that city. I was stressed. I’m not sure which stressed me out more, driving that car or being my 18 year old son’s co-pilot.
He did a great job driving, but when we got to the university, we were running late, and the GPS could not lead us to the designated parking lot. This meant I had to read the map, but I failed map 101 a long time ago.
We were lost. So, we parked anywhere we could find a spot and prayed we wouldn’t get a ticket, and we slid into the orientation as it was beginning.
Big sigh.
On our way home I studied the map again, the very. same. map.
I couldn’t believe what I saw. The arrows to the parking lot and building were easy to see. But somehow, I completely missed those arrows and the one street we needed.
That’s when it hit me. Stress blinds me.
Have you ever been looking for something, but you couldn’t find it, only to find it after you needed it? Was it exactly where you were looking?
Stress blinds us all.
If my son and I would’ve just stopped for a moment to really read the map, we would’ve seen what I was missing.
I know this applies to other stresses in my life.
So, I’m going to try to integrate this lesson. When I feel stress, I’m going to “pull over” into a safe place to “read the map.” Of course, my map will be prayer and my Bible.
[tweetability]Stress blinds, but peace opens our eyes to truth and clarity.[/tweetability]
“In repentance and rest is yoursalvation,in quietness and trust isyour strength….” (Isaiah 30:15).
I found a nugget in this verse. Meet me Friday for my Word Wednesday post. (Shaking things around this week.) The Hebrew word we’ll study is only used in Isaiah 30. Its meaning also provides clues to de-stressing our lives.
Take some time today to slow down and read the “map”.
Much love,
[…] a world where worry consumes us and stress steals sleep, we need tangible proof that God’s holding […]
Ask me today to list what was causing my stress today and I would name some small foolish things. But large things lie under the silly tiny ones. I needed this devotion today.
Thanks for your comments friends! I’m so thankful this came just when you needed it. Love when God does that!
Great post Andy, it came just when I needed it! I can see the first picture of the highway in this post but not the second. It won’t load for my computer. Could be just me – you know my luck with technology:)
Thank your for your words this morning~~~I was in need!!! Nannie
Thanks for sharing these words for me to meditate on today: “…in quietness and and trust is your strength.” <3