Yesterday my wife and I traveled to visit with brethren in Orange Beach, AL.  With the Memorial Day Weekend, there was more than the normal flow of traffic for a Thursday.

During our trip, I noticed one particular vehicle in my rear view mirror as it came speeding up behind me, then swerved around me passing other cars and then sped on its way, obviously well over the posted speed limit.

My mind quickly shifted back to a memory, from mid-May in 2014.  It seems like yesterday.

About the same time of the afternoon, I had a car accident.  I had just finished passing another motorist on the interstate, and what?!  A short distance in front of me was a young person on a Moped moving along slowly.  I swerved to avoid killing the young person, and long story short, hit a guard rail, twice!  I was banged up, bruised, and mostly mentally unsettled.  My car spent over a month being repaired in the auto body shop.

What struck me profoundly was this… had I been moving slower, I might have not had the accident… but then again, I might have anyway.

Go!  Go!  Go!  Activities, appointments, projects, things needing done.  Demands, deadlines, Bible Studies to prepare, sermon messages, seminars, meetings, people… does any of this ring true to you also?

Please take a moment, and stop, cease, pause with me would you?

My accident brought our plans that Friday evening to a stunning halt, and changed… mostly because I was too stiff and sore to do anything.  Let’s let our internal motors idle for a moment… and muse, ponder, think.

Think about the pace of life we live, our busyness.

Does God do things this way?  Does He live like this?

I remember a popular musical and song years ago written if I remember correctly, the year I was born.  It went something like this.  “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off”.

How did we get so caught up in this “rat race”?

Look back over your shoulder; say for the last year or so.  Any major accomplishments?  Have you overcome any sins, or problems that plague you?  How about feelings of being fulfilled?  How many?  Let’s be straight with ourselves…

Being too busy ruins relationships, substituting shallowness for real, deep relationships.  Busyness fills our “to do” list and our calendar but fractures deep family relationships.  Some seem to love telling everyone how busy they are.  How are your relationships with others in your “church” and family?

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 46:10   “Be Still and Know that I am God…”.

Over the years, most Sabbaths I prepare a sermon, trying to instruct and teach those I pastor and serve.  But I often wonder, do you and I stand still long enough to think about, retain, and meditate on what was taught and spoken?  I’ve known for decades, that most who listen to a sermon message, forget most of it within an hour after it was given.  Why is that?  In today’s age, we’re so busy… we simply cannot keep up with everything mentally or physically.

Remember, it’s not enough just to be busy.  The honest question is, what are we busy about?  Do we take the time needed to think about, and then put into practice God’s instruction?

My accident on that Friday, forced me to stop… in more ways than one.  I ask you to consider the same.

As we enter the Sabbath… ask God to truly live His life in you, His faith, and his energy… and let’s truly be thankful that His life in us, keeps us going… forward towards an awe inspiring future!  Let’s also examine our lives, and if need be…. slow down.

…as I close this letter, as I do every Friday evening… as we enter His Sabbath… reflect on this with me, will you?

And again, may God continue to richly bless you.  Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily!  Please do pray for us as well.