“You hit the curb again, Mom!” my son warned.
“I can’t believe you got lost again!” my daughter taunted.
I am not the best driver. I’ve had a few scrapes in that area, although none were legally my fault.
I do sometimes push the speed limit and roll through stop signs. Last winter my car slid on the ice into a fire hydrant.
But whether I like it or not, I do obey the law – generally. That’s why traffic laws are clear. In the law they are called “strict liability” laws. Ignorance of them, like not knowing the speed limit, isn’t an excuse. You’re still required to obey them.
Yield signs are a little squishy.
When you enter a highway, it is often prudent to go slow and let the other drivers proceed ahead of you. But sometimes you enter the flow of traffic anyway and have to floor it to get out of the way of the other cars speeding up on your tail.
The Lord placed another Yield sign in my journey this week and I didn’t care for it. Didn’t really see it coming. Raised the hackles on the back of my rebellious spirit.
The road had been rocky but the vision was clear. Then He said, “Now, you’re going to go another way.”
No! This isn’t what I had planned!
How often have you screamed those words to God: This isn’t what I had planned!
How often has the Lord placed yield signs in your path?
You know how when you’re tooling along, feeling like you’re on the right path when – WHAM!
The Lord announces He has a different plan.
Frustrating. Discouraging. Another call to obey.
A few years ago while driving a well-traveled path through the Midwest, I hit a major highway slowdown. First I had to yield to one lane. Then I was directed on a convoluted detour.
To my surprise I discovered a new coffee shop and a book store on that route – two of my favorite things in the world! After a delightful stop, the signs then directed back to the highway with the admonition to once again yield into the flow of traffic. While initially irritated, I yielded and followed and turned out to be blessed.
Has the Lord placed a sudden yield sign in your life? Are you bucking up against the initial irritation of being called to obey in a new direction?
You have some choices:
1. You can slowly yield and get back into the flow. Like the cautious entrance onto the freeway, you can take the path of grace, learn what you are supposed to learn, and continue on your journey, making delightful discoveries on the path of obedience.
2. You can put the pedal to the medal and try to get out ahead of the call to obey. Sometimes this works, but you also risk smashing into another car. Running from God’s will is always full of risks.
3. You can avoid the yield signs in life. Yet if you are never called to bend to the will of another, you miss the many learning opportunities available to you and be insufferably unteachable.
Graciously yielding and going with the Lord’s flow will introduce you to new blessings, like the coffee house and book store on my journey.
For my current journey, I can’t wait to see what blessings are ahead!