Debris in the Fast Lane

When I was 20, I totaled a car. To be more specific, I totaled an SUV. To be even more specific, it belonged to my mom. I woke up that morning to find numerous voice mails and text messages from my then-boyfriend telling me that he was in the ER for a minor issue. I told my mom that I was going to drive from Nashville to Atlanta to be with him. Now that I am older I realize that she was right when she told me I shouldn't go and that there was nothing I could do, but because I was 20 and thus knew everything, I insisted. She was going to Chattanooga to meet up with my dad, who was already there, so we decided I would go with her that far and then take her SUV to Atlanta.

The drive was going great until I happened upon a piece of a tire in the fast lane I was driving in. When I saw the debris I swerved, lost contol and hit a guardrail. I hit the rail once in  the front, skidded, hit it in the back, and shot across 3 lanes of very busy traffic. I had enough time to cry out "JESUS" (I know that sounds like I made it up, but it's truth) before the car came to a perfect stop, just a few feet from a drop-off. I had broken the frame, there was no way it was drivable. I called my parents who started immediately driving to me from Chattanooga. I kept it together until they got there. Once I saw them I just kept crying and apologizing and begging them to forgive me, but they would hear nothing of it. They cut me off in the midst of my apology to say "it doesn't matter, it's just a car, you are ok, that's all we care about." The state trooper told them that I was incredibly fortunate because he had seen people die over a lot less that what happened to me.

I know it seems like I said all this just to share a testimony of God's grace and protection, and I thank Him for that, but I see something much bigger in this. Maybe you are in the position I was, driving in the fast lane, going your own way even when you are wrong. Eventually, you will meet the same fate as I did, you will run upon garbage that you can't avoid, you'll lose control, and the only resolution is to cry out "JESUS".

I can assure you of this, when you do give it to Him, just like in my situation, your Father will come running and before you have the chance beg, He will forgive you. My parents never held it against me that I destroyed their car. They never brought it up in the future other than to thank God for keeping me that day. I have never been blamed for either my poor decision while driving nor my stubbornness to insist on taking the trip. It is the same with God. He isn't going to hold your bad decisions against you, He won't keep bringing them up. He loves you simply because you are His child.