Tip of My Iceberg

I’m not fond of driving in the rain. I’ll avoid it at all costs.

Especially in Florida.

This is the Sunshine State. And the Lightning Capitol of the world.

A meteorological conundrum.

Driving here is always challenging. With tourists following Google maps, teens learning to drive and older folks who practice patience in the left lane, there is no quick nor relaxing driving experience to be had.

Throw in thunderstorms and you’ve got a whole new ballgame.

Debbie and I had errands to run, and since the skies were inky and the clouds looked ready to burst, I let her drive.

I’m a considerate mom.

When the rain began, it was ferocious. Thunder, lightning and torrential downpour, like an epic movie set. People approached driving with a bit of that ferocious.

There were those who didn’t slow down a bit. Many seemed to speed up, riding through plumes of water that splashed on everyone else’s windshield.

Some slowed down so much that cars behind them came up faster than expected. Which produced much swerving and honking of horns.

There were those ingenious folks who signaled lane changes one way and then went the other. They were not well liked.

There was a car to the left and a little ahead of us. We were just entering the off ramp.

Without signaling, they moved into our lane.

I can’t remember the last time I was in a car that burned rubber while slamming on the brakes.

Actually, Debbie slammed on the brakes. And I was so grateful she did.

We just missed the guard rail. The people who cut us off never slowed down.

Is it really so hard to look where you’re going?

You know how any time you point the finger at someone else for blowing it, three more point back at you?

As angry as I was with the thoughtlessness of the other drivers, I’m not always watching my next steps.

I miss turns. I go the wrong way. And I’ve cut off more people than I care to count.

All because I want to get to where I’m going. No matter what the conditions are on the road.

Or in my life.

Rain works well to blur my vision. Too often I can’t see what’s going on around me when water sluices down the windows.

Selfishness and arrogance have the same effect on my ability to really see who I am and how I’m acting.

I want to do the right thing. Get to the right place.

I can only do that if my perspective is bigger than what I perceive. I need God’s perspective.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the One who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.”        Proverbs 3:5-7a

There will be days when conditions blur my vision and cause me to not see accurately. Trusting in God allows me to rely on a bigger picture, a greater perspective, than I have.

There’s freedom and peace in knowing God sees it all better than I do.

That’s very clear.

Second photo courtesy of goflorida.about.com.