I
was thinking about traffic lights and how much a lot of drivers dislike them
whether in the civilized world or third world especially when one is in a hurry
to get from one place to the other. It feels even worse because drivers are not
told how long each light stays on for. As on races toward the light, One hopes
the green light stays on until one gets to it and that the red light is not on
forever if it is on when one gets to the stop. Only those who control the
lights know the length of time for which each light is on and they switch them
one on and off depending on what they think is best for the traffic situation
at a particular time. Sometimes I wish the green light would stay on just a
little longer for me and at other times I wish the red light would stay on just
a little longer just so that I can catch up with that "annoying
driver" who sped past me thinking he is smart. All we can ever do as
drivers is wish we could control the lights while yet remaining under the
control of those who control the lights since we have no control over them. Of
course indisciplined people refuse to obey the lights and sometimes pay very
dearly for that. The fact that you escaped once does not always mean you will.
Proverbs
29: 1MSG "For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn,
There’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it’ll be
too late to help them."
The
road is just like life. Sometimes the roads are so smooth and we are so certain
we know them so well that we want to just fly across. After all, we say to
ourselves, we have been down that route several times so we know the twists and
turns on the road forgetting that several other things could change. Driving
involves more than the road and your car. That is the story of life. There are
several other factors involved in one's life than one can control. The truth is
it is not entirely up to you. We speed past other road users thinking we are so
smart and wondering why they seem to be crawling when they could have gone
faster. Sometimes their cars may even have problems which make them slower but
we are so unmindful of their challenges as we speed past that we are super
excited forgetting that there could be traffic lights just in front. These
traffic lights are what I call life "levelers" working to ensure that
everybody has equal advantage as a road user. Please don't get too excited as
you seem to overtake some people so that when they meet up with you, you won't
be too sad. Remember that you are not in control of the lights; whoever is, can
be likened to He who is in control of time and chance.
Ecclesiastes
9: 11 "I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner
doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the
battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily
wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is
all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time."
God
is in control of time and chance; be assured that He orchestrates it all so
well that no one is cheated. I know we feel cheated by life from time to time
but we are not. It's just that one man's season may have to wait a little
longer than others. In my opinion, the traffic lights are like those situations,
circumstances and/or challenges that God uses to ensure that we don't destroy
ourselves. Tough as they may seem sometimes especially when we seem to be
racing through life, they are not meant to be a threat. The green light will
always come in so that anyone who feels like their lives have come to a stop
should be patient; without a shard of doubt I can tell you that the green light
is about to come on. I wonder how our lives would have turned out without those
"traffic light situations." I see very often, people who refuse to
obey the traffic sign signs crash their cars. The sad thing is that they
sometimes kill innocent people who have right of way and foolishly assume that
everyone will behave as they ought to. It is foolish to assume so because the world
is full of believers who would not "go down" alone but must take down
other believers with them. We must be wise and very vigilant.
1
Peter 5: 8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He
prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
The
good thing about having to stop at these traffic lights is that it is a good
time to take a deep breathe and make any adjustments and/or quick repair you
may need to make but missed because you were rushing. This reminds me of how
God told the children of Israel they could only move when the cloud had lifted
from their tent of worship and sometimes the cloud would just not lift for a
while which meant they had to remain in a particular place until it moved
again. Sometimes we feel the need to keeping moving and may not even check to
see if we are on the wrong lane or something has gone wrong with the car until
we are compelled to. Let us not lament or complain and murmur when we come to
the stop signs In "life traffic light" situations. Instead, let us do
a quick introspection of our lives at such times as we wait on the green light
to be turned on with a knowing that it will surely come on.
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