"Speed"

I really didn’t realize,

How steep that hill would be,

We were planning on the mountains,

And I would learn to ski.

And down the hill on skateboards,

Faster went the kids,

I jumped on a scooter,

And don’t know why I did.

A hundred miles an hour,

At least that’s how it felt,

And then the force of gravity,

Grabbed me by the belt.

A broken wrist and elbow,

That’s all that happened then,

It was eighteen years ago,

But I still remember when.

I learned I didn’t bounce as well,

As I had before,

And the brakes on razor scooters,

Ain’t in the front no more.

I don’t know why I tell this,

I didn’t learn to ski,

Until a whole year later,

Less painful, don’t you see.

Than when I tried to practice,

And suffered broken bones,

The moral of the story,

Not found in old gray tones,

But black and white so clearly,

Think before you go,

And find the brakes beforehand,

So you can take it slow.

Never under-estimate,

Gravity’s old storm,

And find a way to mitigate,

The speed of your new norm.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You…” (Isaiah 26:3, NLT)

A lot of the suffering I have experienced was self-inflicted. Foolish choices. Stupid decisions. Not really thinking at all before doing something crazy. We’ve all been there. The good news is that the Lord knew all about our foolishness before He ever chose us or died for us. We are still called to be used by Him, and the sooner we realize it, the better. If we learn to trust Him, He will keep us at perfect peace. And when we are peaceful, the odds go up that we get things right. Be peaceful. Be wise. Be ready to be used by the Lord.

Lord, keep us at perfect peace, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Monson, used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.