What a glorious day it is today in Sacramento, California! I’m so thankful to be alive. I woke up way earlier than I wanted, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head, and dove into my morning devotion. The wind was whipping the trees back and forth as I opened my windows in anticipation. Yes, this is why the Lord woke me up early today. A swift delta breeze greeted me and cooled my room down from the hot steamy night. Cirrus clouds spread through the azure blue while birds proclaimed the wonder of being alive.

Is it just me or do you find yourself running late when you’ve woken up earlier? I think it has to do with the thought that, “I’m up earlier so I can take more time.” I don’t know. When getting dressed, the first shirt I picked out had a very small discoloration that has probably always been there but today it disqualified the shirt. I teach on Sundays and, I know, it’s likely vanity, but I don’t want to be standing up in front of a class with a “spot” on my shirt. I grabbed another shirt and one of the buttons on the sleeve didn’t want to button. I was running about five minutes late and that sucker would not button.

I left the house and when I hit the freeway it was jammed full of cars. On Sunday morning the freeway rarely has much traffic which makes for a nice drive to church. I was late; nothing I can do; so I did what you do while you slowly move through traffic. Up ahead I saw the flashing of emergency lights. An accident. A bad accident. Four, no- five cars. Wow, that car looks like it bounced. An ambulance sitting there. I passed by to an open freeway. I was Fifteen minutes late now but arrived only eight minutes late. I  realized that, had I been on time, I could have been in that accident.

In class, we were on the subject of trusting God. I raised the question, “Why do we trust God with very big things and very little things but struggle with daily activities?” I recounted how, by being late this morning, I possibly missed being in a nasty accident. One of the students was also late this morning and was right there when the accident happened. Fortunately, she was in the furthest left lane and managed to make it through unscathed. However, if she had been on time, she’d have been in the accident. She even marked the exact time of the accident.

Had I been on time, had I not been woken up early, had I not taken the time to enjoy the morning breeze and not noticed that spot on a shirt I’ve worn so many times, I would have been in that accident. I’m usually in that spot, every Sunday, on the freeway. It’s my onramp.

I could have been that person in the ambulance that wasn’t going anywhere. No need to rush for the dead. My student could have been in that ambulance. I’m prayerful for the family that lost someone today.

I don’t know what caused the accident. I do know that Sunday morning driving isn’t driving Miss Daisy either. I see more people speeding to make it somewhere on time than any other day of the week. I hope that wasn’t the case this morning, but I’m there every Sunday and it’s “the spot” where I frequently encounter Sunday Dashers.

I do know that God’s timing is perfect and when I accept that, days happen like today. A normal day, like any other, because I trusted in God’s timing and, today, I’m alive to take a crack at tomorrow.

Advertisement