What I Learned in Driver's Ed

Last evening we had to take Samantha back to Grove City College. She had a nice, long term break, and I had gotten accustomed to having her sweet, smiling face around. We knew that the drive could be tricky, due to what the weather-people call "wintry mix", and that stretch of I-79 North is notorious for weather related problems.

The road surface had been wet, but as the sun went down, it got icy. I was driving. Shortly into the drive, we noticed a car along the right shoulder of the road, but I was looking at its headlights instead of its tail lights... a clue that something was up. Over the next 5 miles, we came upon 5 major multi-vehicle pile-ups, with cars upside down, smashed, and/or in the grassy median. Police were on the scenes, but emergency personnel hadn't even arrived yet. It was a very sobering experience. With the exception of, "Oh, my..." or "I hope there's no people still in that car...", conversation in our car ceased, and prayer increased.

One of my biggest challenges was keeping my focus on the road and the cars immediately ahead, rather than on the scene of the wreckage to my right and to my left. I was tense enough as it was, without allowing all the bad news around me to increase my fear. And the distraction of even a moment or two may have caused me to make a mistake or to lose control of my car, adding to the mayhem. There is a phrase in scripture, 'without turning to the right or to the left'. It's used in many places to describe doing something with concentration, purposefully adhering to a prescribed precept (ex: the Book of Law of Moses). It involves deciding ahead of time principles you will live by and sticking to them when faced with an opportunity or a coercion to do otherwise.

I had Drivers Ed many, many, many years ago. Yesterday, I remembered what I'd read in my driver's manual about driving on ice and keeping my eyes on the road, and I've practiced it. We made it to Grove City, and back again, without incident. May I apply the same constancy to my daily journey as a Christian!