A week ago Lauri and I spent some time in the Cincinnati area camping at East Fork State Park. We really enjoy our time camping and exploring new areas. Since we were so close to Cincinnati we spent time visiting some of the sites in the city. Museums, zoos, botanical gardens, Jungle Jims grocery store (if you haven’t been there, I don’t even know how to describe it).
East Fork State Park is about 180 miles from home, and it is a bit further than we typically travel for camping. I will readily admit… when I drive on the highway I have a bit of a heavy foot, and am sometimes known to zip right along. BUT… not when I tow.
Our camper isn’t huge, it’s about 25 feet long and weighs about 5500 pounds loaded, but I am in no hurry when towing it. Not because I am not confident with a camper behind me… more so, that I just don’t understand the risk to hurry. Typically on the highway, if the speed limit is 70 MPH, I go 65… if it is 65… I go 60. Driving 5 MPH below the speed limit mostly eliminates the need to move from the right lane. Many is the time a truck towing a huge camper has blown past me at 75-80… I just don’t see the need, nor do I think it is wise. If something goes wrong… a tire blowout… traffic is stopped… a big wind gust… a lapse of concentration… things can go wrong in a hurry at that speed with a big trailer behind you. So, there we are on our trip, plodding along in the right lane. Even the semis pass us by. Hey 5 MPH slower than the speed limit on a 180 mile trip means it took us 15-20 minutes longer to get there. No big deal.
I also closely monitor my truck. I keep the digital screen up on my dash that informs me in real time of my engine temperature, my oil temperature, my transmission temperature, my oil pressure… all systems that work a bit harder when pulling 5500 pounds. I also eliminate gears 7-8 in my transmission through the electronic selection system so that the truck isn’t constantly shifting up and down on road grades, which is hard on a transmission. Now, my truck is pretty sweet… I’m a big fan of it, and the truth is 65 when towing feels fast enough… and 80+ when not towing feels pretty slow, but the reality is… I drive waaaayyy differently with my camper behind me, than I do when it isn’t.
Today, as we contemplate the believer’s worship of God, my driving habits remind me of a very important spiritual reality — it is essential that I remain aware of, as well as yielded to, the Holy Spirit in my life. Just like I drive differently when towing a camper, so ought the believer live differently than those who don’t pull a camper… uh… you know what I mean… than those who don’t have the Holy Spirit’s influence in their life.
We ought to monitor our life carefully just like I monitor the systems on my truck when towing. The spiritual gauges for the believer are: Am I studying, applying and living true to the word of
God? Is my prayer life a reflection of my desire to worship God and depend upon Him for my needs? Do I have an adequate Christian community surrounding my life to cheer me on in my faith, and hold me accountable? Am I aware of the Holy Spirit’s influence in my life on a daily basis? And for goodness sake… slow down. Remember the words of God: “Be still and know that I am God.” It is just all too easy for Americans to get so busy that there just isn’t margin in our life to hear the voice of God. These “gauges” help the believer monitor the spiritual temperature of their life.
Well this is what I have been pondering this week… I hope you grabbed the essence of my thoughts — because of Christ, Christians ought to have a different perspective and priorities than those who do not know him. And I know… I know… I need to slow down when I don’t have that trailer behind me too.
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