The spirituality of a jeep ride

yesterday,  i went for a drive in my jeep.   it was a perfect driving day.

blue skies.   no wind.   the smell of freshly cut grass was everywhere…along with the fragrance of bluebonnets beside the country roads.   it was late in the morning,  so it was still brisk…but perfect for shorts and a sweatshirt.

as i drove,  i was overwhelmed with peace.   and gratitude.   and the awareness that i was undeserving of the moment.

i wanted to make time stand still.   in those few minutes that i was driving,  it felt like everything was right and good and hopeful and full of the very best of life.

the irony was that my soul was hurting.   my world  (which is lives of people)  was filled with the chaos of messy lives.   not one or two,  but many.   some near.   some far away.   but each one close to my heart.

in spite of the beauty and serenity of my drive,  i was super aware there were  many of my friends who couldn’t enjoy the same moment i was having.   the darkness of their situations would rob them.   depression and anxiety has left them emotionally impotent.   fear and sadness overshadow the simple pleasures of smell and sight and touch.   joy…along with elvis…has left the building.

am i overstating?   perhaps.   but i don’t think so.

i’ve been there before.   there have been times my own poor life choices have rocked my world and stolen my peace.   there have been times that the stupidity and sinfulness of others has left me bitter and full of questions.   there have been plenty of other times that the unexplained has created such a mess of my emotions and my decision-making…well,  let’s just say i was paralyzed in mind and heart…and wasn’t much more than a spiritual cripple.

i don’t know what it’s going to take for you to taste grace.   i suspect it may be more than a jeep ride.

but it’s there for you to take back.

the mystic side of my makeup knows that the fruit of the spirit is real…and that love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and meekness and self-control are all evidence of a life filled with the reality and presence of jesus.   he produces those characteristics and graces in the lives of those that know him and who surrender by faith.

this is truth.

it is also true that disobedience to god’s commands and stubborn self-centeredness will shackle the power of god’s presence in our lives and leave us victims of the mess we created.

the road back is not an easy one.   but it’s not complicated.

then it can be time for a jeep ride.

#jeep #joy #peace #truth