Perspective

Driving skills teach you many valuable lessons.

Such as "How NOT to hit the person in front of you, because the car owner AND your insurance company prefer you don't do that", or "When in doubt , do not pass--especially if it's a no passing zone."

However there is one lesson I've learned that is my personal favorite--"Do not use strong facial lotion on your face before driving. Because it might severely irritate your eyes. It might make it impossible for you to keep them open, due to burning & watering like crazy. And you sorta need both eyes open to drive without breaking the first two lessons mentioned."

Many was the time I'd end up pulling over on the road because my vision was so impaired, so limited, so blocked by the fumes of the lotion, that I literally could not keep my eyes open. I'd sit there, rubbing, dabbing with my shirt, trying everything to get them to stop burning so my focus would return.

It was not until I stopped using the lotion, and switched to one that didn't dominate, that my problem with driving vision and perspective was solved.
The lotion wasn't a bad thing. It was a good thing. It worked wonders for my skin. It was even helpful for my acne. But none of these mattered, if my driving perspective was destroyed by using it.

You know, sometimes as a single woman, my perspective gets distorted. Not by lotion. By the simple, everyday desires I have.

I want to get married. I want to have that special relationship. I long for kids of my own. And sometimes, my perspective on why I'm actually on this earth gets muddled in the dreams and desires of my heart. It can blind me, making me take my eyes off Christ and His kingdom, and put them on me, and my hurts and pains in waiting for the gift of marriage.

It's so easy for me to pray more for a husband than for opportunities to reach out to others with the Gospel. It's so easy for me to be more concerned about my state of singleness than about the people God has put around me, who don't know Him. It's so easy for me to feel more compassion for a girl wanting a boyfriend, than the homeless person in the missionary's slide show, who needs Jesus.

It's even easier to bemoan my lack of a guy, than to willingly give of my time and energy to encourage and uplift the battle-worn, weary Christians God puts in my path who need a word of cheering on.

I realize not everyone is called to China or India, or even to overseas missions. But we are called to witness where we are. We are called to edify and encourage one another where we are. And I will freely admit this is an area I struggle with. I am striving, through God's grace, to improve.

Of course I still pray for a husband. I still look forward to and hope for marriage. There's nothing wrong with that.

It's all in the perspective--ensuring that there's not something impairing my focusing on Christ, and doing MY part, whatever it is, to reach the world for Him.

Driving is much smoother, much more peaceful, when nothing is clouding your vision.

~Miss Deb