Speeding

Matt speaking here: Marcel from Mary’s Aggies has been guest posting here once a week over the last month. He’s done a great job and we’ve been lucky to have him. We will continue having doing guest posters because we’re really really lazy and there’s so many great blogs out there. Here’s Marcel’s post. It’s another great one:

I got a speeding ticket a few weeks ago. I wasn’t paying attention and was caught going 36 in a 25 mile an hour area (I didn’t realize it was 25 and thought it to be 30). Regardless, I was guilty.

I didn’t argue with the cop, but was polite and even cracked a few jokes. He didn’t need to pull me over, because I was already in my parking spot behind the church were I work, so he just pulled up behind me. Around our church we have a lot of pedestrian traffic, because we are so close to Texas A&M University . This means several students I know got to snicker at me. One even stopped to talk to me while the cop was running my license.

“Dude, what did you do?”

“Got caught speeding.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah, well I deserve it.”

I did deserve it. When the cop gave me the ticket and thanked me for being cooperative and polite.

You might be asking why I am rambling on about my ticket (e.g. why is he making this short story into a long one?). It is because I think it closely relates to my life.

I speed through my life sometimes and forget that I am to live in the moment.

I speed right past the most important signs God gives me – my family and friends – in order to get to the next thing.

I find myself distracted too often.

I don’t even “notice” when I am breaking God’s law sometimes.

I am too busy, too rushed, and too hurried.

On the flip side:

I have grown accustomed to being pulled over when I do get out of control – through confession and spiritual direction.

I need accountability in my life.

I find myself humbled by others noticing my imperfections and this is good for me.

I deserve to be ticketed once in a while and need to pay the temporal cost (penance).

God help me slow down – literally and figuratively.