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Driven to Excel

  • March 5, 2015
  • Posted by: LSEM
  • Category: Devotions
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You can learn a lot about people by watching them drive their car.  Some people are self-absorbed and drive like they own the road. More laidback drivers cruise at so leisurely a pace you’d swear they were napping behind the wheel. Drivers who constantly change lanes are indecisive, while those who speed are either impulsive, too busy or just poor managers of time.  And while it may be fun to play this game of “Vehicular Psychology,” there truly are some driving patterns that most people know to be true.

Imagine yourself behind the wheel of your car and you are about to merge onto an interstate highway.  What’s going through your mind?

  • Increasing your speed to make sure you are going fast enough to merge into traffic
  • Looking at the road ahead to see if other, slower vehicles may be in your way
  • Checking the first lane to see if it is clear

All of those things are important, but finding the opening in the first lane of traffic is probably the most critical thing on the list.  You need a gap to merge safely.  Sometimes traffic is light and merging is easy.  But when traffic is heavy, you need to gauge where your opening will come and in some cases you must completely rely upon the kindness of a stranger to create the opening for you and unless you have one of those casual cruisers coming along, this may be harder than you’d think.

I don’t have the statistics to back this up, but it seems to me that the vast majority of American drivers consider the space 100 feet in front of their car to be holy ground or a family heirloom passed down for generations.  We’ve spent so much time and energy choosing this perfect location for driving that nobody should dare interfere. “You are welcome to enter the highway anywhere you like…..as long as it’s behind me.”  This thought process will drive you nuts if you’re in the car trying to merge into traffic, but five miles down the road, you will probably do the exact same thing.  “Nobody let me in, so…”

I hope you have no idea what I am talking about, but I suspect you do.

Inclusion behind the wheel is tough.  We aren’t asking for much, just a little space and the opportunity to get into the flow of traffic.  In the eyes of a struggling student, inclusion in the classroom can be equally difficult.  These students understand that they will need help to merge into the flow of the classroom setting, but that doesn’t lessen the desire to be with their classmates: learning, sharing, laughing and growing.  But in order for this to happen successfully, someone will need to be willing to make the space for them, to let them in and provide for their needs.  When this happens the student is not only able to get into the flow; he is on the road to his ultimate destination in life.

Paul’s words in Romans 15:5-7 serve as a great reminder for all of us to work together to create these open spaces for our students.  “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (ESV).”  Whatever term you choose; inclusion, merging, collaboration, all comes back to that basic concept of harmony.  God calls us to live in harmony with each of us playing our part.  So whether you are a teacher, a donor, an administrator or a parent, know that we are all God’s dearly loved children called to live together in one accord.

Or Camry, or Escape or whatever type of car you’re driving….

Devotion by Rich Schumacher

Assistant Director, Programs & Services