I’m an early riser. That means that usually on mornings when I’m headed into work the only other breathing creatures up on the road with me are a few other human “early birds”, some deer, foxes, turtles, armadillos or possums. Believe me, cruising down the road and being surprised by a family of deer on a dark day stroll, or a massive turtle coasting gingerly down a semi-rock/dirt/paved road is no fun. Because I live in a subdivision in the midst of rural Shelby, County that also means that lights are few and far between until you reach the “big city” portion of Alabaster. I often rely on my bright lights to help guide me through, and a lot of stopping and slowing to make sure I make it.

Because of all of the above factors, I have to be extra careful when driving in the dark.  Acknowledging the need to go slowly has become second-nature on my early morning or late night travels because, for one, I’m grateful for the 2001 Lexus that had been especially good to me for more than a decade, and the newer model truck that has stepped in to fill its transporting shoes. Because I’m also grateful for my life and the lives of other creepy-crawly things or human beings on the road with me, I try my best to take my time while driving the dark, but in life, going slowing during darker days can sometimes be so very hard to do.

Driving in the dark is much like navigating through the darker seasons of life. Sickness, death, divorce, job loss, relationships transitions, and other scenarios can often place us in a state of figurative darkness. I’ve experienced each and every one of the above, and to be honest, my natural inclination after being blindsided by them was to hop back up from what caught be off guard, dust myself off and hit the ground running again…and FAST. That, my friends is not always the best method. It’s important to take our time during these times, not try to rush the process. The natural tendency would be to want to speed through whatever we’re going through to get to the other side of the proverbial “road”, but that can often cause more harm than good. Why? Just like the unexpected deer, foxes, turtles, armadillos or possums, in our times of darkness, we never know what is else lurking ahead or alongside of us that can hinder us, or even more hurt us. Sometimes, we do have an occassional collision that only yielding to rest and regrouping can handle. Taking our time, and depending on the Bright Light named Jesus(check out John 8:12) is the only way to make it safely through the dark days.

Like my morning commute, sometimes it seems as if I’m not going as fast as I should be and that’s okay. Like my morning commute, it often seems like there’s always something else trying to slow me down and that’s okay. Like my morning commute, sometimes it appears that others are passing me and that’s (beginning to be) okay. But like my morning commute, I’m accepting that knowing when to pump the breaks and trust the path I’m on is the way to go. I’m accepting that, at whatever rate of speed God deems best, regardless of how many times I have to stop, yield or pause, He knows that that is the best way to get me to where I’m bound to go, arriving safely, soundly and to stay .

@AngelaMMoore316