Tag Archives: driving

When the road turns….

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clip art winding_road sign

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read a tweet from @realDonaldTrump this morning…

“The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn” Anonymous

This got me thinking.

In life we make plans, set goals, dream big – but what happens when life changes? The scenery changes, the neighborhood changes, our family changes, our finances change, my relationships change, my surroundings change, my health changes, my job changes.

Change, change, change.

It is how I deal with change that determines the results of change.

I have seen people that have refused to accept change and the result is that life passed them on and they became a casualty of the ‘bend’ in the road that became the ‘end’ of the road.

I have also seen people that accept and embrace change and the result is that they are continuing down the road. The windows are open, they are experiencing the ‘wind’ of life, the freshness of the air, the warm of the sunshine and the new scenery.

Determine to look at life as a CONSTANT change. I challenge you to EMBRACE the changes in your children, the movement of life, and the newness of each day. Some changes happen naturally, some changes happen internally, and some changes happen externally. Don’t build a permanent fixture in a temporary location, but rather build a permanent memory in a temporary location.

Every day brings new change and new challenges, but remember that His mercies are NEW every morning (they change too!), and that He places where He can move you to NEW things.

While driving down the road of life do not let the ‘bend’ become the ‘end’.

What are some things you have learned in dealing with the bending road? I would love to hear them.

clip art long winding road p92b_saint_gothard_pass_switzerland

 

 

 

 

Enjoying the scenery,
David

 

Behind the Wheel of a Red Ford Escort – part four

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Look further down the road

With all the lessons and learning I was doing I must have been progressing, because I was able to drive more; in fact I even had precious cargo in the vehicle with me at times (my mom, dad, and brothers). As I took the initial instructions to heart there were more lessons to be learned, this moves me to the next lesson ‘you must look further ahead than your immediate location when driving’.

The impetus for this lesson was simple; my driving, while improving, became a battle of trying to drive smoothly within the painted boundaries of the road. I was learning to focus, but my vision and skills needed more refinement. Have you seen the bowling ball careening down the gutter bouncing from one side to the other? I needed more instruction.

 

My dad explained to me that as I looked further ahead down the road my driving would become smoother and not so erratic. I took his explanation to heart, I looked further down the road fixing my eyes on the vehicles or the road well ahead of me and not the painted lines of the road immediately ahead of me. The ride became smoother, motion sickness subsided and the drive became more enjoyable. Simple. Profound.

My thought today is that in life we can focus so intently on the issues and necessities directly in front of our eyelids that we end up bouncing around erratically. We are going in the right direction, but we are not  smooth, we are unpredictable. If we take but a moment to assess our goals, focus and vision and pick a target further down the road we will find that our lives are not so bumpy. We will start to drive more smoothly and efficiently. Less time will be spent righting the ship and more time will be spent on effective progress. Other people will recognize the difference too.

How you do this is by setting a long term goal; something further down the road than next week. Look ahead in life and have a clear picture of where you are going. When you do this many of the bumps will be smoothed out.

In Habakkuk 2:2&3 God says to record the vision (what you see), so the one who reads it will run (move forward effectively). Your vision is for an appointed time (further ahead of you, than where you are now). Your vision moves you toward the goal, and it will not fail.

See your future, then go there.

Looking further down the road,

david

 

 

 

Behind the wheel of a red Ford Escort – part two

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Keep Your Eyes on the Road

 So I turned 16, dragged my Dad to the drivers test, passed (on my second try – sometimes greatness needs a second chance) and walked out the doors with the world bracing for a new driving terror. I switched from riding shotgun to being in command of 4 wheels and 75 horsepower of bridled and regulated power. This was pretty cool and freaky all at the same time. Cool because I was moving up to another stage in life, growing up, becoming the master of a large hunk of metal. Freaky (although I would not have admitted it at the time) because I was now in control of something with more power than myself. Freaky because the possibility of safety and carnage now rested in my feet and hands. Freaky because I had never done this before. I actually was in a cold sweat.

As we pulled out of the parking lot and started down the road the advice and wisdom started to flow from my Dad’s heart; probably out of his desire for self-preservation. He noticed that I was jerky, tentative, almost paralyzed by all the activity around me. For years I had sat beside him in the passenger seat and never had these emotions going thru my mind; somehow by changing positions and taking the wheel I now was experiencing them.

His first instruction on this road of life: ‘keep your eyes on the road’, focus on the road in front of you David. The first rule he taught me was so simple but so profound, keep your eyes on the road. He instructed me that if I kept my eyes on the road the vehicle would follow. If I kept my eyes on the road I would see what was before me and I would be able to respond. My first and foremost instruction was to keep my eyes on the road, focus on what lay ahead. Simple. Profound.

Simple because it did not involve 16 maneuvers. Simple because it was not complicated. Simple because it was a means of survival. Simple, focus, keep your eyes on the road.

Profound because the control of the vehicle was connected with what I was looking at. Profound because so many possibilities could be reconciled by keeping my focus. Profound because all the questions I had seemed to find answers by keeping my eyes on the road. Profound, focus, keep your eyes on the road.

When we keep our eyes on the road many of the simple (and difficult) things in life are corrected and put into perspective, our survival rate greatly increases. Much of the control of our future, the questions about tomorrow, the myriad of possibilities, and concern for what happens next are seen by keeping our eyes on the road.

Simple. Profound.

Maintain your focus, maintain your life.

Keeping my eyes on the road.
david

Behind the wheel of a red Ford Escort.

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When I turned 16 my Dad taught me how to drive. He gave me lots of pointers: ‘gas pedal is on the right, brake is on the left (I learned to drive an automatic, not a manual transmission).  Make sure your foot is on the brake when you shift into gear.  Look both ways before you proceed thru an intersection. Never start the car while it is in gear.   Make sure you check your fuel gage – do you have enough gas to get where you are going?   Don’t eat while you are driving.  Don’t have the music too loud (in fact driving with no music was preferred).  Don’t talk too much.  Keep both hands on the steering wheel.  Don’t look at girls while driving.’  The list was endless! Cell phones were not around back then, otherwise I am sure I would have been banned from having one to prevent me from texting and talking, but one of the most important lessons he taught me was about focus.  ‘David, what are you looking at, what are you focusing on?’  This was a question that my dad frequently asked!

Over the next few days I will be posting some of the lessons I learned while sitting behind the wheel of a red Ford Escort. The lessons while in a vehicle have many truths and applications in life. My hope is that you will read, learn, grow, laugh, and apply.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Enjoy the drive -david