Yearly Archives: 2009

Some days driving is about enjoying the breeze.  Other days its about getting where you need to get.  And other days . . .

Our car is a 1998 Neon.  A small car.  A light car.  A great-gas-mileage car.

One thing our car is not?  A car that doesn’t slide on icy roads.

Today I braked as another car slowed in front of me.  At the same time I remembered that I had left a laptop at home.  The laptop was needed for the first task of the day at the office.

As my foot hit the brake, the car began to twist.  As though to return from whence it had come.  I automatically compensated.  Then the foot took the lead.  I needed to go from whence I had come.  The foot returned to the brake.  The car did a swivel.  The road was empty (6:20 in the morning tends to be that way around here!).  As the car slowed to a halt, I shifted gears, turned the wheel and headed back home.

And you thought I was going to talk about having a lead foot that pushed the gas pedal.  Sorry to “brake” it to you!!

As we awoke this morning our discussion turned to reflection.

Neither my wife nor I enjoy making New Year’s resolutions.  Maybe it’s too many years.  Maybe it’s the ability to not be able to predict well.  Maybe it’s the recognition that “only God knows.”

Whatever the reason, we watch out for that type of vow that characterize most New Year’s resolutions.  The type that seem to be set for failure before you begin.

So our discussion turned to the coming year.  We have had much sorrow and hard days this past year.  Not much laughter (I’m not known for being a funny man, but this past year was even less than usual).

What will this coming year hold?  If things continue — the word “sadness” would be a fair characterization.  But we are not asking for the same thing, the status quo, the normal.

Jesus once spoke to one of His disciples and asked him if he knew what he was getting into.  The disciple figured that nothing could stand in his way.  Jesus confirmed that he was going to find out what that “nothing” would be.   That “nothing” was nothing like he imagined.  A martyr in the end — his life became more than he expected. 

Someone has said that JOY is doing what you were created for.  So, regardless of what comes this year — enjoy!!