No, Really. The Real Deal.
Okay, so I wrote the other day about this speeding stuff. I am happy to say that God has given me the grace and strength to stick to my resolve and obey Him in this area for the last several days. (Yay! Cheer with me! This is challenging for me.) Tonight on the way home from church it was really hard, though.
I didn’t have any problems on the interstate, and I haven’t really had any the last few days. It’s over near my house where I’m having the issues. We don’t live in a very “safe” area of town. We have seen some rough stuff in our neighborhood, and I heard someone was killed here several months ago. For many reasons it’s typical to drive out of the neighborhood right into a lane full of 18-wheeler trucks. All that to say we love our house, but I’m not going jogging alone at night if you know what I mean.
Tonight I turned into the neighborhood and was driving the (really slow) speed limit. This person (I’m just assuming it was a young, selfish, immature guy) literally hugged the back of my van for almost a mile. It was dark outside, and he turned on his bright lights and kept flicking them on and off. He revved his engine each time I slowed down or turned on a curve, and when I turned to go towards my driveway, he screached past me almost hitting me (and my one year-old daughter). I don’t want to know what he was thinking or saying to me inside his big truck.
Even if I had not been convicted to make this change, I would never do that to someone. That is just extremely rude. I pulled into the driveway and asked Eric, “Did you see that guy?” He didn’t see it happen, but both of us were very angry. Eric started walking out on the road trying to find him. 
“Honey, you are more important to me than this! Please come home!” I’m pretty concerned that we live in a neighborhood where people have that kind of road rage on a 21 mph speed-limited road. “Lord! Please make me Amish!”
Kerrie asked a good question in the comments yesterday:
It’s a very hard habit to break; I have tried, but when you look in your rear view mirrow and all you see is a grill on the front of a big truck, what do you do?
I say, “Trust God and, then, maybe pull over if you can and let them pass.” Goodness. I know. It’s hard. I asked Eric, “So, does this mean I’m going to get killed for obeying the law?” I’m okay (really, I am, after years of nightmares and praying) with getting killed for being a follower of Jesus Christ, but for going the speed limit? This is crazy! If my final breath wanes in some brave struggle, I want it to be like a scene from Braveheart or The Patriot, not Driving Miss Daisy.
Maybe obedience is going to be harder than I thought.
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I must say that each time I read your posts you give me a new outlook on everyday issues. I have never thought about my driving as being a sin. I realized after reading your story that it was in fact something I do deliberately everyday. I think that I need to zoom past other drivers on my selfish way to work or daycare or anywhere else for that matter. I get angry at the mere thought of getting stuck behind someone on the interstate going the speed limit in the fast lane. “How dare them” I think to myself. I have somewhere to be. Usually I have the baby with me when I am driving like this. After reading your posting I felt as if for the last 13 months (actually longer considering the in utero time) I have put her life at risk too. It’s crazy the selfish way I have been thinking and because of you I am going to TRY to do better for myself, and everyone else out there. GREAT POST!!!!
Hey Kristi!
You should move up to the DC area…most of the time the traffic is moving 20 mph under the speed limit so speeding is not a problem! Road rage on the other hand…Lol. Seriously though…great post. It’s awesome to see your obedience in this area.
I hope that you won’t become a martyr for the speed limit. But, I do admire your determination to obey the law. I can’t say that I would have stuck it out in your situation. I suppose pulling over for those wackos is really the only option.
On a side, I was once obeying the speed limit down a country road that had just been slickened with a light shower. The nutcase behind me passed me, ended up spinning out and crashing into another car. Really, speeding is just not worth it.
That said, a Christian fish on your bumper may do the trick to providing accountability for your speed. Or, maybe you already have one… just a thought.
Stephanie, thanks for the comment. I honestly wasn’t trying to preach, but I felt like writing this out on my blog would help me in my struggle. It already has! Praise God. I pray that you find this to be a new way to worship and obey, too.
Page, oh, dear. I don’t know if I could sit in that kind of traffic. I’m sure it’s a whole different ball game!
Kendra, Woa. I used to worry that I was going to be the one to slide away on a rainy road like that. That’s one benefit of slowing down for sure. I hadn’t thought of putting a fish on the car, but that’s a good thought. The more I think about it, though, the “fish” cars can unfortunately be the worst drivers sometimes out there!
I told my friend Emily the other day while I was driving, “Great. Now everyone who passes me is going to think I’m just not paying attention because I’m yakking on the phone…” Oh well!
Hi,
I don’t balme you because it’s hard to keep your cool when dealing with people like like that. But they are the ones with the problem, not you. I remember when I first moved to Bluffton 9 almost 4 months ago, though it seems like eons ago), the college kids and people of other races ( no, I’m not discrimating) about drove me crazy on the road. Not only were they unsafe, but they had ATTITUDES. I had to pray a lot to, but it doesn’t seem as bad now. Hang in there; God knows where your heart is.
Hi,
I don’t blam you because it’s hard to keep your cool when dealing with people like that.They are the ones with the problem, not you. I remember when I first moved to Bluffton (almost 4 months ago, though it seems like eons ago)the college kids and some other adults about drove me crazy on the road. Not only were they unsafe, but they had ATTITUDES. I had to pray a lot to, but it doesn’t seem as bad now. Hang in there; God knows where your heart is.
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