What does your driving say about your relationship with God?

All of our actions tell a tale of who we are and what we believe. So come take a ride with me on the roads of Westchester County,N.Y. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they drive. Charlize* and Jade* attended the same Church and for convenience sake decided to car-pool. They both live in Rockland County across the bridge from their Church in Westchester. However, Charlize got more than she bargained for the first time Jade picked her up. Jade's car was cut off by another car on the highway. This is an experience that we all have, no? Charlize held on to her seat as mild-mannered Jade put her foot on the gas pedal and dodged through traffic in order to "get that driver back." She weaved in and out of traffic until she got in front of that car and then slammed her foot on the breaks, causing that driver to have to hit his brakes also!  By this point, Charlize's heart was beating rapidly. "Jade what are you doing?" Charlize yelled.  With an air of victory, Jade replies, "haven't you ever heard of a Bronx Brake Job?"

Then there is Jacques*. Jacques volunteered to take an aging group of ladies to a political event here in Westchester County. I thought this was very nice since a few of those ladies would not have been able to attend the event otherwise. One of the ladies is legally blind. On the highway, Jacques is unhappy with other drivers and complains out loud about how slow everyone is driving.  Note to self Jacques: it can't always be everyone else, sometimes it is you! He imagines all sorts of things that aren't true, such as that other drivers are out to get him. Pretty soon he is rolling down his window and shouting "f**k y*u" to random people.

Shall I go on? Then there is Olivia*. Olivia is just about the sweetest and kindest person that I know.  Until she gets behind the wheel of her car. It is then that she does not have the patience of Job!  "Why won't she turn, this is a right-on-red State!" Or, "what's he waiting for, honk, honk!" All day long in Westchester County, I see people crossing double yellow lines or cutting off trucks and school buses because people did not leave enough time to get where they are going. Did you ever notice how when a traffic lane is closed that people usually don't take turns merging into the single lane? People honk when there is the slightest little traffic jam on a residential block, even if it is only 7 o'clock in the morning and your car is a few feet from someone's front door. Honking should be used for safety and not to try to  rush a driver ahead of you who is only waiting for an elderly person to safely cross the street or is dealing with a construction zone. Our car radios are our business and need not be foisted upon everyone who is trying to sleep after an overnight work shift or walking past our car on the street. The decibel level of groups of cars honking and loud radio playing is unhealthy.

The way we drive tells a lot about where we are emotionally and spiritually.  It tells us what we think and feel about others and must be addressed. The fruit of a godly life is seen in a person's character. When Jade takes dangerous chances putting both her life and Charlize's in danger merely to pay back another person on the highway, she shows us how fruitless the cycle of revenge is. Attending church and ministry events will not change our way of doing things until we are willing to address the false philosophy's that we are playing out.  Jade is a perfect example of this because she faithfully attended every women's ministry event at Church and reads her bible everyday.

Jacques was always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need or to volunteer in his community.  But, he drives too fast and does not understand how to give and take on the road.  He struggles with feelings of paranoia and anger as he drives.  He has dismissed his wife's complaints over the years.  He even dismissed the comments of Mrs.A****** as he drove her to that political rally.  Even a blind woman tried to help Jacques but he himself seemed blind to his true self.

Crossing double lines, trying to unfairly pull ahead of others are behaviors that all break either societal or moral laws.  We may not even realize it but these infractions add up to create quality of life issues for all of us. Would you think twice about speeding if I told you that many parents in my community have stopped letting their children walk to school because of fear of speeding drivers? Many people commuting to work have nothing on their mind except getting to their job on time.  Nothing or no body else matters. May I suggest getting up an hour earlier? Must we wonder why children are the fastest growing segment of the population struggling with obesity? Many parents are afraid to let their children play outside, so much so, that these children end up living sedentary lifestyles.

Take a few minutes and think about what your driving indicates about you. It may be time to reframe the way you think about some things. We must play fairly on the road of life.  We have to share the road with other drivers. Loving our neighbor includes those on the road. Let's aim to be the kind of person that the Apostle Paul describes in his letter to the Galatian people:

Galatians 5:22-23King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

*the names are changed.