God makes me do the speed limit.
I didn’t want to. We argued about it for years. Eight years ago, God finally won.
Here are five ways it’s changed my life physically and spiritually:
- Less stress:
Photo by Marc Sendra martorell on Unsplash There’s no making up time on the road, so I can’t stress over every minute. If it’s a 30-minute ride, it’s going to be a 30-minute ride; there’s no point getting worked up about it. Plus, I’m usually the slowest car on the road rather than yanked up right behind someone grousing about them not going faster, raising my blood pressure in the process. And I’m not freaking out if I suddenly see a cop!
- More enjoyment:
I might as well relax and enjoy the ride, check out the scenery, sing along with my favorite artists. I often find myself taking back roads that are more lightly traveled so I’m not holding up people on the road (or being stressed by their riding on my tail), and those back roads here in Amish country are scenic.
Photo by Loubna Aggoun on Unsplash - Longer-lasting brakes:
One of my perverse joys in this is watching someone race around me (sometimes I pull over so they can) and then catching up to them as they sit at the next light. They aren’t getting much farther, much faster than I am; they just had to brake sooner. In many urban areas, the lights are actually timed to the speed limit, so when I travel the speed limit, the lights change as I approach and I never have to brake unless others are sitting there waiting. And I am usually able to maneuver curves by merely taking my foot of the gas, so again no braking. It sure saves wear and tear. - A brake on my competitive nature:
With my personality, everything is a competition. I compete with other people. I compete with myself (can I make it to that intersection in 5 minutes instead of 6?). Driving the speed limit means there is no competition. I can relax and just let it be. Again, it lowers my stress, leaving time to breathe. - Discipline training:
Photo by Veri Ivanova on Unsplash I’m not naturally a disciplined person. But submitting to God in this issue, which was big for me, has helped me become more obedient. There are times I want to, or believe I need to, speed. One was just last week. I did a bit. I even told myself I would for the whole hour trip. But I couldn’t. I realized I wasn’t comfortable doing it anymore. I wanted to obey God.
I’m not telling anyone else they can’t speed. This was a conviction just for me, impressed on me by God, again, for me. In fact, I’ll often let others drive so we can get somewhere more quickly!
And when I hit a rural road with no posted speed limit, which means I can apply the state 55 mph limit, or I’m on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which has a 70 mph limit the whole length, you can bet I’m enjoying the speed while it lasts.
But the limits have given me other freedoms, and for that I’m grateful.
Well, it all depends. This week, we got an emergency call from our son at the airport. His wife had left her purse at our home and couldn’t get onto the plane w/o her ID. Mad dash to Boston, breaking speed limits, making wrong turns that required more illegal maneuvering. Did the purse exchange just minutes before the plane doors would be closed. They made it, and God enabled it! Your point, though, Carol, is well taken. Most speeding takes its toll–and I’m not talking money.
Yes, there will always be emergencies that throw the rules out the window—like babies pushing to be born for instance! Glad you made it on time— that’s so stressful!
This was 8 years ago?!? I remember how you struggled!
I know, right?! Time gets away from us!
I have a lead foot, so this is a good challenge for me. I can certainly see that there would be benefits I hadn’t thought about.