Last Thursday night when it was absolutely freezing cold, I had to get into my car and go to class. Thinking it was at least warmer than it had been on Wednesday (beyond freezing), I decided to park back in my usual spot a few blocks away but where it is free. Halfway to campus, I knew I would majorly regret it when I had to go back at 8 pm. Sure enough, within 2 minutes, I was miserable and pratically ran to my car.
I jumped in, jammed the key in the ignition, and cranked up the heat while I sat there shivering for 2 minutes. I had just pried my fingers out of my pockets and put the car in gear when I saw two of my classmates walk past. They were huddled into their coats, and I immediately thought that I should offer them a ride. But my car was pointed in the wrong direction, and I just wanted to get home, and I could think of a million other excuses. So, I blew it. I drove off.
My heart started fluttering. The Holy Spirit wasted no time in convicting me, and it was a chance I knew was gone for good. I felt horrible. After all the wonderful lessons God's been teaching me lately, I couldn't even take 5 extra minutes out of my day to serve someone else and be a witness. Where's the growth? Where's the action to the faith I profess?
Fortunately, our God is the God of second chances. When I passed a car on the freeway with its blinkers on, I knew I had to pull over and see if there was anything I could do. The lady thanked me politely and said "no," but that's not what the stop had been about. It was about being obedient. It was about allowing inconveniences to interrupt me. It was about living on God's time schedule and foregoing my own stubborn will. The challenge will be in making such decisions a lifestyle, not the exception.
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