Don’t you just hate it when the Lord teaches you and your child something and uses your mistake as the example for the life lesson? Our family schedule this week has been packed. My son had three lacrosse games scheduled. I was driving Sam to the school for one of his games. On our way to the game I was sharing with Sam how the neighbors had decorated one of our friend’s yards with balloons, signs and streamers to welcome him home from Iraq. As we approached the house, I was pointing it out to him and “BLAM!” I hit a mailbox with my rearview mirror, knocking it sideways and scaring Sam half to death because it was his side.
Great! Not only did I shatter my rearview mirror and mangle my neighbor’s mailbox (with him standing the driveway witnessing it), but I did it with my student driver sitting in the front seat. He turned and looked at me and said, “And you tell me to watch out for mailboxes.” In a very calm voice I said, “Yeah, see what happens when you don’t?”
In life, when we take our eyes off of the Lord and get wrapped up in our circumstances, problems occur. Psalm 141:8 says “But my eyes are fixed on You, O Sovereign LORD; in You I take refuge-“
If I had kept my eyes fixed on the road, I would not have hit the mailbox; however, I was focused on something else. In Matthew 14:23-31 we read about Peter walking on water. As long as He kept his eyes focused on the Lord, he was able to walk on the water without a problem. The moment he paid attention to his surroundings and circumstance, he began to sink.
While paying attention to the decorations in my neighbor’s yard wasn’t a bad thing, doing it while driving proved to be dangerous and unwise. If I had kept my attention on the road, I wouldn’t have had an accident. Sometimes we spend time focusing on other things when we need to focus on the Lord. When we keep our eyes locked on Jesus, we will never encounter destruction [Psalm 121:7]. 1 Corinthians 1:8 says “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We need to embrace and live out the chorus of an old hymn: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.” Keep your eyes fixed on Him today and avoid any unnecessary accidents.