Morning Commute

One of my favorite parts of my day is my morning commute. I know… shocker, right?

But it’s true.

It’s this private little world that I can count on to be pretty much the same, every morning. I take the same route to work each day, get stopped at the same red lights, and see the same trees and houses. I listen to music, and make myself sing along even though it is in weak-breathy-morning-voice. Usually, I have some form of iced coffee with me as I’m driving – and it is just altogether pleasant. Even if I’m tired, even if I’m feeling overwhelmed about the tasks before me that day – my morning commute is usually a time that I think, worship, and talk to God. Often, it’s just in my head… but I’m still aware of His presence, and it’s usually my favorite part of the day.

This morning, rain clouds hung heavy in the sky. There is a particular shade of gray that I adore, and it is painted across the entire sky for me today. I always will be a lover of rain. It makes me think differently than I do in the sunshine. There’s a melancholy in the atmosphere that seems to offend many – and yet I have always found it calming, and in a way that is hard to define… freeing.

I knew that this day was going to full of a lot of little pieces - small tasks and details needing to be sorted out, balanced, and completed. I look forward to days like today, where my skills are useful and I feel a sense of accomplishment before even starting my day.

However, these days are of the variety that can also easily segway into an attitude of self-sufficiency. A self-absorption. A happy contentment... but one that is without Christ.

As I was driving and considering these things, two thoughts were cast through my mind like a spear.
 
No matter what I strive to be today, without Christ I am nothing.
No matter what I accomplish today, if not done for Christ, it means nothing.

It's a sobering thought and an incredibly bolstering one as well. The reality of it forces me to stop, take stock, and examine the area that the spear has pierced.

What is causing my mind to wander today? What is causing my heart to worry? What is causing my shoulders to tense up, or my hands to feel restless? What is causing me to be distracted from the tasks in front of me? In this moment, what, or who, do I love more than God?

May I have courage enough to lay it down, free my hands, empty my heart - and cling to Christ, above all. This is my prayer today.

^“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

 1 Peter 5:6-7