#897, 24JUL

You’ve Been Paced

I’ve watched and heard the sweetest goodbyes between a little kid and their dad. The dad drives such a slow pace each morning leaving the house a few doors down from mine, and he and his little child yell goodbyes within earshot to each other for at least half a block. Dad leans out his work van, drives at just the right pace. Awww… I bet the child will remember that all day.

The pace of our lives are just that, a certain pace in a certain place.

Yesterday was my first turnpike slowdown in 5 months of the lightest traffic, never a stop but a 45 minute crawl covering only 10 miles. I heard about the construction set up, I chose that path anyway, since it is most direct. The radio traffic report said the cars were being purposefully “paced”.

PACED.

Today I was “stuck” behind the train crossing, with both kids after the dentist, it was ok I had nowhere super urgent to be, I was not far from home so I waited, checked my email on my phone and waited. It doesn’t pay to bail at that intersection anyway,  there would be an extra 10 minute drive around, not worth it…. and I could see the fast but long train. Just wait it out. Life slowed down but stay on track.

Just before the train finished and the track crossing opened, at least half a dozen cars bailed – waited for a long time and then bailed so late. Seriously, how long would you wait before bailing? I watched one car that did just before the opening and was then stuck at the light in the opposite direction. When the opposing traffic started to flow, he realized that he should have waited 30 seconds more. His face told the whole story of ugh…. he lost time trying to save it.

He had been paced.

I have been paced.

You’ve been paced.

We, we are being paced by life, paced by ourselves, paced by God.  Which is the best, right, smart way to live? We cannot outpace or out-race God.

No matter what you do,  if you don’t do it in God’s terms, He will pace you.

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

If you build a plan without God, it will fail. Psalm 127

If you rush, you will be paced back to His schedule.

If you think you can out-run God, you can’t. And you wouldn’t want to anyway.

If you try to slow down something God is doing, you can’t. His timing,  His place,  His pace.  Accept the pace. Sometimes the pace is a race but with God, let Him win the race.

You think things are falling into place, just right? You also have been placed, traced, spaced, and embraced. Paced.

Take the time that God has given you, use the time wisely, spend time with loved ones, work diligently. Embrace the pace, God has made time for you and me. He says we are worthy of His time, worthy not by our doing but by His Grace.

His Pace, His Place, His Grace.

Amen