DOT crews have begun the lengthy process of taking down the toll plaza on GA 400, a spot in the road I whiz through nearly every day of my life.
Removing the toll shouldn't affect my commute time much, but it will save me about a dollar a day. I have what's commonly referred to as a cruise card. The cruise card is a rectangular white decal on my front windshield with a sensor that automatically draws money from my bank account so that I don't have to stop and manually pay the toll each time I drive on the road. This little gem allows me to fly through the far left lanes of the toll plaza while non-card holders inch through the right lanes, waiting in line to drop 50 cents each time they access it.
When I drive through the toll plaza, I always glance to my left. Every. Single. Time. At my left is a device that looks like a traffic light, with a green light at the top, yellow in the middle, and red at the bottom. A green light flashes each time a driver with a cruise card scoots through the plaza. If something is erroneous in a driver's billing and needs attention, a yellow light will flash as he passes through. A red light appears for the rebels who fly through the left lanes without a cruise card altogether, attempting to avoid paying the toll.
I really love seeing that green light blink at me twice a day, once in the morning and once on my way home.
In fact, I love it too much.
That little green light has come to represent a check of approval for me each morning and afternoon as I commute to and from work. In my mind, it now symbolizes a smile, a pat on the back reminding me that I "did good" and have someone's stamp of approval. I've done the right thing. Someone is pleased with me.
The fact that I get a little surge of delight from the DOT shows me that I have a glaring problem with approval.
When I think about it, isn't a flash of approval what we look for each time we put ourselves "out there?" In moments of great vulnerability and in our everyday choices, aren't we seeking approval from the people around us? Each outfit we choose, time we speak up in a meeting, tweet, post a photo, or update a status - aren't we really hoping deep inside - yearning, really - for others to flash us a green light?
Green lights come in many forms - nods of approval, invitations to lunch, compliments, literal "likes," positive emails, opportunities we're given - but they all mean the same thing and satisfy that hole we've allowed to linger inside of us.
Jesus came to fill that hole. He's come that we may have LIFE, and life to the full. Little green lights on Earth may feel awesome, but they are temporary. The high they give only lasts for an hour, a day, or maybe a week if they are from someone we deem as significant. Once the buzz fades, we're back at it, attempting to achieve our next green light and feel loved.
The only green light that LASTS is the ones He gives. And He is giving it to me constantly. It doesn't just flash and then fade. It shines constantly - brightly. It radiates. It's eternal.
It's my responsibility to receive it from Him each morning...to take time to commune with Him and allow His green light of grace and unconditional acceptance wash over me. Every morning I can choose to look at His word and be reminded of what He did for me, or I can begin my daily quest to seek earthly green lights - the kind that I won't even remember the next day. The kind that fade. The kind that return to dust.
I have a challenge for myself. I still want to look to my left each time I pass through the toll plaza. But now, I want to use this moment as an opportunity to whisper a prayer of gratitude to Jesus for the green light He's burning brightly at me.
Removing the toll shouldn't affect my commute time much, but it will save me about a dollar a day. I have what's commonly referred to as a cruise card. The cruise card is a rectangular white decal on my front windshield with a sensor that automatically draws money from my bank account so that I don't have to stop and manually pay the toll each time I drive on the road. This little gem allows me to fly through the far left lanes of the toll plaza while non-card holders inch through the right lanes, waiting in line to drop 50 cents each time they access it.
When I drive through the toll plaza, I always glance to my left. Every. Single. Time. At my left is a device that looks like a traffic light, with a green light at the top, yellow in the middle, and red at the bottom. A green light flashes each time a driver with a cruise card scoots through the plaza. If something is erroneous in a driver's billing and needs attention, a yellow light will flash as he passes through. A red light appears for the rebels who fly through the left lanes without a cruise card altogether, attempting to avoid paying the toll.
I really love seeing that green light blink at me twice a day, once in the morning and once on my way home.
In fact, I love it too much.
That little green light has come to represent a check of approval for me each morning and afternoon as I commute to and from work. In my mind, it now symbolizes a smile, a pat on the back reminding me that I "did good" and have someone's stamp of approval. I've done the right thing. Someone is pleased with me.
The fact that I get a little surge of delight from the DOT shows me that I have a glaring problem with approval.
When I think about it, isn't a flash of approval what we look for each time we put ourselves "out there?" In moments of great vulnerability and in our everyday choices, aren't we seeking approval from the people around us? Each outfit we choose, time we speak up in a meeting, tweet, post a photo, or update a status - aren't we really hoping deep inside - yearning, really - for others to flash us a green light?
Green lights come in many forms - nods of approval, invitations to lunch, compliments, literal "likes," positive emails, opportunities we're given - but they all mean the same thing and satisfy that hole we've allowed to linger inside of us.
Jesus came to fill that hole. He's come that we may have LIFE, and life to the full. Little green lights on Earth may feel awesome, but they are temporary. The high they give only lasts for an hour, a day, or maybe a week if they are from someone we deem as significant. Once the buzz fades, we're back at it, attempting to achieve our next green light and feel loved.
The only green light that LASTS is the ones He gives. And He is giving it to me constantly. It doesn't just flash and then fade. It shines constantly - brightly. It radiates. It's eternal.
It's my responsibility to receive it from Him each morning...to take time to commune with Him and allow His green light of grace and unconditional acceptance wash over me. Every morning I can choose to look at His word and be reminded of what He did for me, or I can begin my daily quest to seek earthly green lights - the kind that I won't even remember the next day. The kind that fade. The kind that return to dust.
I have a challenge for myself. I still want to look to my left each time I pass through the toll plaza. But now, I want to use this moment as an opportunity to whisper a prayer of gratitude to Jesus for the green light He's burning brightly at me.
So encouraging!! Thanks!!
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