Stop

Essential Takeaway: Pay attention to all signs

I have a daughter that just turned 16. This means we are deep into drivers education training. Teaching kids to drive is one of my least favorite parenting activities. I scream, she cries….We lovingly and calmly discuss how ALL of the road signs are important and are there for our safety.

Other than freaking out staying calm while helping my daughter get her drivers license, I have never been one to make formal New Years Resolutions. I feel like I’m having a hard enough time keeping my head above water. As I have been praying about what I could do in the future, the thought keeps coming to me: “STOP”.

Stop? Stop doing what I’ve always done; which is basically nothing? I started thinking of a few goals that I could have for 2020. I really wanted to go back to school this semester. I got a very strong STOP answer. What do we do when we desire something good but we get a “stop” answer? Maybe the Lord can see the semi truck screaming down the highway with failing breaks and it would be unwise for us to move at this time. STOP. Sometimes stop just means stop. It doesn’t mean no, never. I don’t think the Lord wants me to stop making goals. A good way to consider new goals is to pray about those goals and see if they are really the direction to go. For now I will be focusing more time on the basics. My husband and I asked our children to come up with some goals using the guidelines in the new church youth program. I can not ask the kids to do something I am not willing to do. So, as I sit at this stop sign in life and wait for the semi to pass, I will be focusing more time on the people in this car with me. For the first time in 2 decades, I will be writing down clear and specific goals for 2020. It will take me time to figure this out.  Life isn’t a race anyway. It will be OK to start a nice gradual stop about 150 feet behind the stop sign ending with my bumper safely 2 feet behind the line. Have you ever had the Lord tell you to STOP but not understand why?