Staying in One Lane:

Yesterday I was driving a few miles over to run an errand. I wasn’t in any particular hurry so I was just meandering along at just about the speed limit and enjoying the fresh Sunday afternoon springtime air. And I was keeping my safe pace in the right hand lane, no need to change lanes, my destination was a right turn.

As I drove there was a particular car that caught my attention. It was speeding up and slowing down, shifting from one lane to the other, apparently trying to gain some advantage as the driver hurried along to his/her destination. At one point this vehicle passed me, the driver appearing to have a tense and annoyed facial expression. Up ahead, the street became one lane instead of two and I noticed that the driver made a quick turn onto a side street.

I a few blocks I reached my destination. As I reached my destination, I noticed that same vehicle, with the same annoyed appearing driver, waiting at a stop sign as several vehicles passed by. I actually reached the common destination ahead of this other driver. I reached it with a smile on my face and peace in my gut. I don’t know what was going on in that other driver’s gut, but I sure do know he didn’t have a smile on his face. And apparently his “short cut” hadn’t helped out either.

Maybe there is a lesson for life here. Too often, it seems, we are speeding along, focus on a destination. Along the way we keep speeding up and slowing down, jumping lanes in life (that is pursuing one thing then another) and taking “short-cuts” when we think we can. We get annoyed with others on the same journey who seem to be taking too long, hogging the road and living with a sense of peace. Much of the time none of this is because we “have to” but because we think it is going to gain us some kind of advantage in the end. And, in the end, you know, we all come to the same place – the gate of heaven.

Maybe there is something to be said for staying in the same lane, enjoying the pace of the journey and ending up the day, month, year or life with a smile on ones face and a sense of peace in one’s gut.