Lessons on the Road 4

Chat #4: Maps

I love using maps when I’m travelling. Maps give you a broad picture of where you are relative to everything else. When you pull in to a rest stop and spread out your map on a picnic table it is very satisfying to plot your progress, to see how far you’ve come and what lies ahead to be explored. You can see mountains and lakes, towns and cities, highways and byways. It’s as if the whole world is spread out before you and you can choose to go wherever you want. That’s exciting.

Back in the 1960’s when I graduated from high school it seemed that life was like that. I had the whole world spread out before me. I could go anywhere I wanted to. I could do anything I wanted to—at least I thought I could. My first choice was to go to university. Then I chose to go teaching. Then I felt a calling to travel one particular road, the road of ministry, and so I became an officer in The Salvation Army. Last year, after 44 years on the road, I retired. Now the map is back on the table. Once more I have choices. That’s exciting.

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Lessons on the Road 3

Chat #3: The Long Distance Trip

It has been said that when you are travelling, getting there is half the fun. The other half is doing what you plan to do once you get there. If “getting there” is indeed half the fun than we should plan the trip well. I have made return road trips from Toronto to Vancouver Island, from Toronto to St. John’s, and from Toronto to Florida. Besides my wife, I have had kids, a dog, and a cat at various times and in various combinations. Sometimes I have driven around the clock, and sometimes taken almost a week to get to the destination. The secret to enjoying the trip is planning and preparation. Taking time to do this will add fun to the experience.

As Christians we anticipate the end of our journey. We look forward to Heaven. But what about the “getting there” part? Do we have to wait until we get there before we experience happiness? I don’t think so. Jesus said that He came to give us “abundant life.” He said He came to give us His joy. The Bible contains many verses about God’s faithful having the “joy of the Lord.” Like any road trip there will be times when we experience bumps on the road, but in spite of that travelling with Jesus is a joy-filled experience. Begin each day with God. Plan with Him what you will do today. And don’t wait for Heaven before you begin to laugh.

1 Peter 1:8 (NIV)

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Lessons on the Road 2

Chat #2: The Day Trip

Aah, the day trip. Leaving home after breakfast, enjoying the scenery or a country fair or a visit with friends and returning home to your own bed at night. Those pleasant little trips are something to be treasured. They are fun for the whole family and they generally don’t cost a lot. Even with today’s high fuel prices, a day trip is still an economical way to have fun. My wife and I have taken such trips often, sometimes they turn into berry-picking activities, sometimes a picnic, and sometimes we even throw in a little fishing. But most time its just “oohing and awing” at God’s creation.

In life, we should take time to relax and enjoy what we have. God never meant for us to always be in a rush, to always be spending and acquiring. We should take time to enjoy one another and enjoy the world around us—as the old adage says, “Take time to smell the roses.” Take time with family and friends. Take time to get to know your fellow church members as real people. Take time to appreciate all that God has provided. And don’t forget to thank Him for it all.

Mark 6:31 (NIV)

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Lessons on the Road 1

Chat #1: Planning the trip

I’ve been driving (with a licence) since 1967 when I bought a brand new Suzuki motorcycle from some of the money I earned as a school teacher. Since then I have bought almost a dozen vehicles (if you count an old RV I once owned) and have driven from coast to coast in Canada several times and in a good number of the states in the U.S.A. Over the years I’ve learned a few things, some the hard way, and I hope to share some of this in the chats that will follow. I have learned that some of the “road lessons” are also “life lessons.”

Lesson number one: plan your trip. It’s a lot of fun getting out maps and brochures and talking with your family about the upcoming trip, especially if it’s to a place you’ve never been before. Plan how long you will drive each day. Plan where you will stop for the night. Plan what you will do along the way. With a good plan in place your trip will be exciting and fun.

Life lesson: a lot of people go through life with no aim or ambition. They let the forces around them drive them. As a result their life is unsatisfactory and they accomplish little. The Bible says that God has a plan for our life. This does not mean that everything that happens to us is God’s will, but it does mean that God will give us direction. Then it’s up to us to follow His plan. Wherever you are in your life you can stop, get out the roadmap and ask God, “Where to from here”?

Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Lessons from Cars 20

Lesson 20: Mirrors

The rear-view mirrors are some of the most useful parts of you car. When I lend my car, people sometimes freak out by the way I have set my side mirrors because when they look in them they cannot see what is behind them. I explain that the inside mirror is for seeing what is behind. The side mirrors are for covering blind spots. When a car is behind me it is in my inside mirror. When it disappears from that mirror it appears in one of my side mirrors. And when it disappears from those mirrors it appears in my eyesight. So I am always aware of exactly where other cars are at all times.

In life we should always be aware of where we are in relation to others and to where we have been. We go forward with our eyes on Jesus, but we must not turn a blind eye to those around us. We should be aware of those who are behind us. Some of them are following our example. Where we go, they will go. How we behave, they will behave. We should be aware of those coming along side us in life. Some are there to encourage us. Some are there to reassure us. Some are there to help. And we should be aware of those overtaking us. Sooner or later we will slow down, our journey will end, and others must complete the task and go where we cannot. We must be humble enough to let them pass.

John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Lessons from Cars 19

Lesson 19: Accessories

Car accessories are those things that make driving more pleasant. They are not necessities; you can drive without them, but they make the driving experience more enjoyable. My dad’s old ’54 pickup had one accessory—a glove compartment. By the time I got my ’69 Vauxhall it had a glove compartment and a cigarette lighter (now called a power outlet). Later vehicles had a radio, cassette player, cd-player and a satellite radio. Today’s luxury vehicles have all this and more—heated seats, power seats, DVD-player, heated steering wheel, climate control and built-in navigation system, to name a few.

In our Christian life there are also necessities and accessories. Certain things are absolutely necessary if we are to maintain a healthy spiritual lift—prayer, Bible reading, worship and fellowship with other Christians, and acts of service. And there are other things that can help us, things that in this context may be considered accessories. These include listening to good music that will inspire us, reading good books that will encourage us, and putting good art in our homes (including Christian art and mottos). 

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Lessons from Cars 18

Lesson18: Security features

None of the vehicles I have ever owned have been on the “most stolen” list. Only someone desperate would steal a Vauxhall—although someone did steal the battery out of it. And then there was the K-car and an old Aerostar minivan, and a string of other practical but not-very-sought-after vehicles. Years ago it was fairly easy for thieves to “hot wire” cars. Even teens did this just to go on a joy ride, with no intentions of keeping the vehicles. Today security features are much improved with electronic keys, remote door locks, and built in GPS systems to track stolen cars.

In the Bible the devil is described as a thief who comes to take away that which God has given us. We see in the story Adam and Eve how the devil stole their innocence and security. We see in the story of Noah how the devil took away peace from the earth and replaced it with violence. In the parable of the farmer scattering his seeds the devil took away the word of the gospel before it could take root in the hearts of the hearers. We must be always on our guard against the devil lest temptations of the world and the flesh rob us of our peace and the blessings we have in Jesus.

Revelation 3:11

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

Lessons from Cars 17

Lesson 17: Safety Features

When I think of the vehicles I first drove I shudder at how unsafe they were. They had no airbags to cushion a person in an accident. They had no seatbelts to keep people in the vehicle in the event of a roll over. They had no ABS breaking system is assist in slippery weather. The bumper was built like a battering ram with practically no energy-absorbing features. There were no head rests to reduce whiplash injuries, and there was no soft padding on the dashboard. Thankfully, today vehicles have all these features and more to keep us much safer on the road.

Of course life has no guarantees. Even with all the safety improvements people still die in automobile accidents. But when it comes to our spiritual life, God has given us a guarantee. If we put our trust in Jesus we will get to Heaven. He has said that he has given us eternal life and no one is able to take that away from us. The Apostle Paul testified that nothing in Heaven or Hell is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. It is like the old gospel song says: “He will keep you from falling, he will keep to the end. What a wonderful Saviour, what a wonderful friend.”

John 10:38

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Lessons from Cars 16

Lesson 16. Dashboard: information

The dashboard of your car is the source of all kinds of vital information necessary for the safe performance of your vehicle. The early cars gave the barest essentials: gas gage, engine temperature, voltage, odometer, speedometer, turn signals, and high beam indicator. With electronic dashboards of today we have all that and more. My minivan shows me the oil life, the average amount of fuel consumed per kilometre, that a seatbelt is not fastened and that a door is ajar. It even has a built in satellite system that enables me to phone hands free.

If our lives can be compared to a car the question we need to consider is where are we getting the information necessary for a healthy, fulfilling life? Is the information reliable? Is it enough? We acquire a lot of information over the years—some more helpful than others. Advertisers will try to convince you that you need their products in order to be happy. Your friends may tell you that you need to have certain experiences to be happy—do drugs, smoke, drink, have sex. Others may tell you that you need money, fame, or power to be happy. But what is God saying to you? That is the most vital information you need to know.

Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV)

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.