Whew! I am done with another week. It had been a while since I had actually worked. I had been enjoying time off with my husband. So when I got the call to work for a week, I was hesitant but did it anyway. I had forgotten what it was like to actually get out and drive in the morning.
The drive to the school is not a bad one. It's a steady 55 most of the way. Although I have to admit that on most days it is more like a Daytona 500. I hesitate in saying that often, when I approach the school zone, I barely know the difference.
I take those signs seriously. When I see those flashing lights, I always slow down. Not only do I slow down, I actually go to the posted speed....20 mph. The other day I slowed down to 20 and that did not sit well with the guy behind me.
As I was "obeying the law" a red Mercedes literally whipped around me and sped up. Not gonna lie- it made me mad. I said "ok, I'll show you!" I began to speed up when I thought of the example I would be if I did that. When the car turned into the high school just shy of my own school, I became critical.
"Look at that car, it's missing a hub cap; it has scratches everywhere; you're nothing big just because you're driving a Mercedes" and so on and so on! Why did I do that? Because I needed to feel good about my decision and belittling him made me feel better about doing the right thing.
As I pulled into my school just next door, I thought of the many drivers that sped through that zone and I unbelievably asked the age old question "where are the police when you need them?" You see, I would have ticketed every single one of those speeders. Many were high school drivers but worse, many were parents setting the example that it's ok! They are NOT law abiding citizens like me!
As I parked, the thought suddenly came to me "Where do do you get off being the self righteous dictating judge?" I then thought of the many times I traveled and kicked the gas pedal up a notch or two which led to the thought of how i would justify it and say something like "But officer....I wasn't speeding."
Interesting isn't it? That I would want mercy extended to me but I would want everyone else to pay for their violations? For a moment, I almost fell to the trap of pressure-much like many of us fall to the trap of sin. We may feel like other's sin goes unnoticed so we jump right in hoping God overlooks ours. Although God will extend mercy, our sin has consequences much like the speeder. He may get away with it and enjoy it for the moment but if he is stopped by a police officer, there could be costly consequences.
It was a big lesson in a small way. I will continue to obey the school zone laws despite what others around me do and I am thankful for the mercy extended to me.
Even though I was once a blasphemer and persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and disbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:13-14
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