"Great Things He Hath Done"

The other day I was driving along a new road trying to find a Goodwill. As I was driving I turned a corner and a police man stepped out onto the road and directed me into what looked like a subdivision. I saw on the same street several cars all lined up along with several police men. I thought that there must have been an accident and this police man was sending me on a detour or something, but as I was slowly driving away trying to figure out how to be on my way I saw in my mirror the police man waving his arms at me and pointing at the side of the road. I was shocked I hadn't looked at my speedometer for about half a minute but there was no way I was speeding.

He came up to me and asked for my license and proof of insurance. As I handed it to him I asked what the matter was, and why he stopped me. He didn't answer me so I asked again. He said "I clocked you going 33 mph in a 20 mph School Zone". I was shocked.

I saw the flashing school zone sign and it said 35 mph and slowed down accordingly and began to look for where this zone ended. I told the police this. I couldn't believe that he pulled me over, there must have been a mistake. He calmly stated that the 35mph school zone was just before this one and that he would be right back with my ticket. There were three other people in the car with me at the time and none of them saw the 20 sign either. I couldn't believe this.

Well, I got the ticket and I was so upset. Money has never been a big deal to me until really recently, because I want to get my school done so bad and I have had a ton of surprises this semester. So I got very angry and upset about this ticket. I even cursed the cop, not to his face but to God saying that I wish he wouldn't get any sleep that night (that was the worst thing I could think of at the moment). I cried and yelled about the oppression of the government and how a poor college student could never get ahead. It was such a strange thing that I got the ticket, because I was sure that I was obeying the law. I knew there must be a spiritual lesson God wanted to teach me through this.

At the time I couldn't handle it. I was so angry at God for allowing this kind of lesson at this time in my life. Then when He calmed my heart, and helped me bless the cop (to make up for the curse: many nights of peaceful sleep). God began to show me the lessson. Mark Cahill says "Money problems are never about the money, they are about the heart", and he is right.

Through that ticket, Jesus was reminding me how many people go through life thinking that they are doing everything that they should. They don't know that they have broken God's law, they don't know that a very real punishment is in store for them. They zip along, obeying that 35 mph sign unconscious of the 20 mph sign they will be punished for.

Most of us don't lie a lot on purpose. We try not too. Most of us try to honor our parents and try to keep God first in our lives. We try not to covet or lust. We try to forgive almost everyone who offends us. But we don't realize that this is not the standard. So many people are cruising along going 35 in a 20mph zone. Does that make sense?

First, God showed me how blessed I am to know about His perfect law, and to know about what is coming. Then He showed me more blessed I was to have my deserved ticket, for not obeying His law perfectly, paid in full by Jesus Christ. Lastly, He gave me with this ticket a vivid picture/real life experience that will encourage me to tell others about His law and His grace, for months while I am trying to pay it off. :-)

I still wish that the police man had given me mercy, after all, I had never driven on that road before, there were tons of other people being ticketed at the same time as I was (they didn't see any sign either), I was abiding by what I thought was the speed limit, and lastly I am just a poor college student, who doesn't have a job right now. But just as these excuses didn't stand with this cop they cannot stand with God. This cop still had to give me that ticket. The eternal ticket must be paid too. I will not forget this lesson for a long time, I pray it will help kindle the fire in me to tell everyone about Jesus.