Lessons from Traffic

There are so many lessons one can learn by driving a car. I'm trying to be more patient, to let people in when there's a long line, to lay off the horn when someone is rude. It is a process and I am getting better.
Yesterday, on the way to work I was driving up a busy boulevard here in town approaching a busy crossing street. There happens to be a turning lane to go left at the intersection, but I was to proceed straight. My lane, however, was backed up so much that people couldn't get into the turn lane. The person behind me was distraught. She wanted to hurry up and get in that turn lane. I could tell by her body language that she was extremely frustrated that I wasn't getting further up so she could go around. But honestly, there was no room. So I edged forward as far as I could. The car in front of me noticed and he edged forward a little. The light had been green for awhile, but you know how it takes awhile for the traffice to move.
Finally, the lady behind was able to get around me. She was obviously elated as she sped by me. Meanwhile, my lane is going and guess what happened? The woman in a hurry was stopped by the turn signal while I just kept going through the intersection merrily on my way. She was stopped. I was going. She was in a hurry. I wasn't. I was able to move. She couldn't.
That is so much like us. We try to get God to hurry up and let us pass. He understands what's ahead and tries to hold us back. "Patience," He says. But we insist we know better. So we speed past God trying to do our thing only to be stopped short. It's happened before. It's happened to me. It's happened to you. It happened to Jonah. Those great Bible scholars tell us the four chapters of the book of Jonah--Chapter 1--Running from God, Chapter 2--Running to God, Chapter 3--Running with God, Chapter 4--Running ahead of God. We know better. Yet He tells us to be patient. Perhaps that was what Paul was talking about when he talked about contentment in Philippians. "I can't do that," you might say. That's why Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Go ahead. Go back and read it. That's what it means. Have a great day. And don't run ahead of God. JW