Once again I have to credit my ability to think quickly and act appropriately for avoiding, once again, an accident as I drove to work this morning. This situation happens all too often: a person will turn into oncoming traffic without regard to the approaching vehicles. They simply drive out, completely without a care in the world, either trusting that nothing bad will happen, or totally oblivious to the fact that they are risking not only their lives, but those of the drivers they are so thoughtlessly cutting off.
The incident this morning, however, was a bit different. Rather than diving into traffic and praying for the best, the woman first stuck the tip of her car out into the lane and, presumably when she saw me coming, slowed down for an instant. Believing she rethought her move and would wait, I kept on my way, placing my foot on the brake just in case. To no-one’s surprise this less than intelligent person then cut me off. Since I already had my foot on the brake I slowed down safely and did not have to swerve to avoid disaster. Thanks, God, for quick reflexes and experience.
What really bothers me about this incident is the fact that this woman clearly knew she was in the wrong. The fact that she slowed down and stopped before dashing out into my path indicates both forethought and planning. My car is small but, as always, I had my lights on and the day was sufficiently bright and clear as to offer no excuse for her not seeing and being aware of my oncoming vehicle. No, she clearly knew what she was doing and despite the obvious risk, went ahead and did it anyway. Her choice was absolutely foolish and forgivable only because I was able to avoid hitting her.
We often do the same thing when it comes to breaking God’s heart. We know we are making a bad and risky decision for ourselves, but we go ahead and do it anyway. Hesitant at first, we then plough ahead full-speed onto the dangerous roads of sin. I don’t know if it’s because we think we’ll get away with it or because we like the danger, but for whatever reason we more often than not know the full depth of our behaviour’s wrongness.
It is bad enough that our sins hurt us and God. What makes things worse is, like that lady choosing to pop out in front of me, our bad decisions often put others at as much risk of injury as it does us. Very few sins are victimless. Their impact cuts a much wider swath than we can imagine. Even when we know we are putting others in danger we just can’t seem to help ourselves. Whether is the sin itself or simply the sense of danger, we go ahead no matter the risk.
Thankfully, God’s forgiveness is greater than our capacity to sin. He reacts to our mistakes just as quickly as we decide to repent and seek His mercy. I just wish that we would all think twice before acting in a way that needs Him to be forgiving, and maybe try making Him praise us a little more often.
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