We live in the Bible Belt and many here in Georgia try to keep up a regular dialogue with Jesus. Throughout the day the conversation continues:
         “Thank you Lord, I’m awake, I made it through the night. Help me today to make Christ-like decisions throughout the day.”
         ” God, how can I do something of service to you today.
         “Watch over me, Jesus.”
         “Thank you for being at my side, LORD,”
         “I am so blessed, this day. Thank you, Jesus.”      Â
         “Help keep my husband healthy and in a good place.”
         “Wow! What a sunset on Tiger Mountain. Thank you, God.”
         “Thank you for one blessing after the next.”
         “God, help me to keep my eyes open on this drive.”
         My most frequent ask of God is to “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
         The dialogue is different for each person.
         A month ago I was in South Carolina and at dinner one night I heard of a bumper sticker that proclaims:
         HONK if you love Jesus.
      TEXT while driving if you want to meet Him.”
         Texting increases a person’s chance of an accident by 23 times. This is because when texting the driving has been shown in neurological studies to be put on autopilot. All the thinking is devoted to texting. Texting while driving is as close as a person can come to a death wish. It is extraordinarily dangerous. It is several times more dangerous than driving with a high blood alcohol level.
         A person who is drunk may call a cab, parents, a friend or his wife (or husband) to get home.
         What about the person who is addicted to texting. How can he or she get from point A to point B without precipitating a horrendous accident? The easiest way by far would be to lock the cell phone in the trunk of the car. If you want to text and drive find a designated driver who does not feel the necessity of texting while driving.Â
         Of course, the effectiveness of driving a powerful machine, a lethal weapon like a car or a truck, may be impaired by other actions or distractions such as buckling the seatbelt after one is in motion, looking at the face of someone in the front or back seat or changing the radio station. We are not only endangering ourselves but others when we take chances behind the wheel.
         Automobiles are such fun, opening us up to exploring places near and far. Think about the excitement of the soon to be 16 year old who can’t wait to be able to drive and the disappointment of the 80 to 100 year old who is facing the ever more strident voices of family and physicians encouraging her or him to stop driving.
         With thoughtfulness and attention to detail we can improve automobile safety for ourselves and others.
What were you doing when you swerved into another lane of traffic?
           Please do me a favor and tell me what you were doing when you almost had an accident. What was the desecration that caused you concern?
Bob Hatcher
May 27, 2015, June 9, 2015, June 26, 2015
