Traffic: Lessons in Grace.

Traffic.  I don't know of anyone who really enjoys it, but I do know that it is something most of us encounter on a daily basis.

From Auckland to Kansas City, from Cairo to Queenstown, there are lessons to be learned by sharing the road with other travelers. Sojourning on the asphalt, spotted with those lovely little yellow and white lines, requires that we constantly accommodate for other vehicles around us to ensure safety for all.  This is a lesson in GRACE.  A defensive driver always anticipates the next move of the vehicle on the front, side, or behind them, and makes the necessary adjustments to guarantee that collisions and accidents are avoided.

A classic example of this is when you are merging onto the highway, gaining speed and looking out for that perfect slot to fit right into the traffic flow.  Cars in the other lanes must move over for you, and sometimes slow down or speed up to lend you space in the mass of moving vehicles going the same way.  Cruise control is your enemy when in heavy traffic, because it assumes that all will be smooth sailing and that you won't have to put much effort into this business of getting from point A to point B.  We all know that is not the case.  You're going to have to be okay with the fact that completing your journey demands effort, adapting, and giving a few inches here and there to make certain everyone gets home safe.

What a lesson in GRACE- the giving of good that is not necessarily deserved.  The busy highway packed with cars and passengers is a picture of life.  As pilgrims on the journey home to see the Father, we've got to learn to grant each other a little extra breathing room, let them in our lane, and  give little extra grace.  Anticipation of the of needs of those around us, suspension of judgment, giving a few inches, slowing down enough to allow someone else into our spheres of influence . . all are the practices of grace.

So turn off your cruise control and put some work into your relationships.
Pay attention to the people around you and learn a few lessons of the road: Give a little extra.  Forgive a little quicker.  Slow down and listen to the needs of those around you.  Allow people GRACE. . .then perhaps more people will make it "home" safe.