Thought for the day….Blinking Lights, Empty Streets, and Puffy Eyes

Why is there a school zone on the road between two grocery stores, a Blockbuster and a dry cleaner? I don’t even recall where a school could possibly be in this “school zone.” Maybe it’s a secret school that meets at the car wash-or in the abandoned shopping center?

I’ve never cried while receiving a traffic citation (aka a ticket) before. Yes, afterwards, sure-but never in front of a police officer! Not until today.

Apparently, I was going 35 in this particular “school zone.”

I had to blink back the tears and choke back the swelling lump in my throat as I answered, “I didn’t know it was a school zone there, Sir. I slowed down as soon as I saw the blinking school zone lights.”

The officer was kind enough to inform me that I’d passed two sets of blinking lights before slowing down at the third blinking light. Bummer.

Oh, that’s why everyone was driving so slowly. Why did I decide to take different route to work this morning?

“It’s for the children’s sake, you know.” The officer kindly reminded after handing me the citation. Children? Where? I thought. I glanced both ways (in my minds’ eye of course) and the streets were empty. Sure, Mr. Officer was sitting in the parking lot of the dry cleaners clocking cars at 7:30 in the morning for the sake of “the children.” These children apparently haven’t gotten the memo that there is a school zone there and that they should make use of it.

Honestly, by the end of the dialogue with the officer I was practically sobbing. Not that he was rude; in fact, I think he started to feel bad for me (though not bad enough to give me a warning).

This ticket was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. I know that the reason the tears came so easily was because of multiple other situations going on in my life right now. And finally all my stresses, all my worries, all my frustrations just spilled out in front of the poor, unsuspecting officer.

This? On top of everything else going on?? A ticket and the ensuing fines are the last thing I need.

I cried the whole way to work. My eyes were puffy and my makeup was hopeless. Life isn’t going the way I’d planned right now. And everything seemed to hit the fan all at once.

It’s easy for me to be happy and grateful when things are going my way. I’ll gladly thank God for His blessing and favor if Michael and I get a little more money than expected, or if my bosses notice something they like about what I’m doing and reward me for it, or when gifts just drop out of the sky into our laps.

But how about when there isn’t much money there… when each day brings another uncertainty… when I get a ticket… when there are deadlines we’re only going to make with a hope and a prayer… when major decisions hang in the balance…  Can I still thank God for His goodness, for his blessing? Do I still trust Him?

I had better! I mean, isn’t that when it really counts? Isn’t that what really makes up the whole TRUST part of TRUST. If I thank God only when something that I define as good happens… then really, aren’t I actually just praising the good thing itself? God forbid that I love the gift more than I love Him-the giver of all good things.

So, I praise God. Yes, I praise Him even on this day when I got a ticket and even though I don’t hold all the answers to my life in the palm of my hand. I praise Him for no other reason than He is good and worthy of my praise. I belong to Him and I am loved by Him. And I trust that He will continue to be faithful ALWAYS because that is who He is.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess. 5:16 (NLT).