Park

Ok, I have had a lot of experience with the parking meters downtown, but when a few friends and I  went on a segway adventure downtown, I was told to park in the parking meter in front of the Wortham and pay for the hopper.  I followed the directions, not ever choosing the hooper option before,  so I didn't  really know what I was paying for.  It was a six dollar fee and it said it was for all day.  We did the segway deal and then grabbed a little lunch across at the hard Rock Cafe and sure enough when I got back, that flashy neon green ticket was parked under my windshield wiper.  I was totally confused, thinking I had followed all the rules, but when I went to the parking office, again, to meet with my now friend Sheila, to appeal my conviction a couple of weeks later she explained.  A hopper fee means that you pay the six dollar price but you have to hop blocks every two hours. 


Really!!!!! The parking police mark your tires and know if the car has been moved and keep tabs on the hopper vehicles.  I was guilty for sure oh but for the grace of the parking ticket administrator.  She waived my fine, again.    

Hopper, now that I understand the terms, I am much better equipped for my parking ptioons. Pay less to stay and pay more to hop.  When we maintain our status quo and the comforts of life without interruption, we are not driven to pay the greater price of patience, sacrifice, or self control etc., becasue things are resting peacefully.  Oh but when we are forced to hop into unknown territory and embrace trials of many kind, we do have to pay more.  We have to put to test the fruits that are within in, and move them around and ultimately park them according to where out focus has been moved. 

"Hopping" through trials is not so descriptive as "trudging" through trials, which is so often how I feel I manage to conquer my challenges. But I figure that when I am faced with hopping trials then I need an advocate who can keep track of my time and help me to move along when I am getting ready to be admonished for sitting too long in one given place.  Ever been there? Stewing over one particular incident that you have parked in your mind. You know you need to move on, but you need someone to help you start up your engine and remind you to move on and park your thoughts elsewhere. 

Well, God stands waiting, watching and keeping track of our every move.   He is ever present on the sidewalk of our hearts, to help us do just that.  We know we need to move on, when God nudges us that our time spent in the negative, worrisome, anxious, fearful parking place has expired. He knows that if we stay parked in these thoughts then we soon will reap the fines of frustration, disappointment, stress and depression. God leads us, if we ask him,  to His spot of peace; a place of a fresh outlook, a positive perspective, and place when we can park our faith and trust him.    Sometimes that place is just on the next block, all we have to do is move.  And there we  can stay parked for a while until things begin to get blurry again, and then move on again. 

God is always on the move and it makes sense that we too need to be careful to not get stifled into a parked place of discontent, abandonment, ingratitude, and selfish mind sets.  We know when we are parked too long in a place where we do not belong and God knows that too.  If we seek his will and trust in his timing, he too will set our hearts and minds on things above, and continue to move us closer and closer to himself. 

Acts 17:28
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

It is good to be stable, of course, but our human nature tends to allow our comforts to often be the breeding ground for our insecurities, difficulties, pride and fear.  Our faith is best tested and grown when we are on the move.  When trails come before us and we are forced to tackle tough situations, it is God who keeps our thoughts on the move, because he wants to strengthen our faith. He helps to keep our thoughts hopping back to him and helps us to not park too long in our own allocated ways. For our  own ways are not worthy ones to park too long on,  and it is God who opens up places to park our thoughts where we will find his peace and provisions. 

Dear Lord, may your Holy Spirit move us in ways that we may not always understand but can surely always trust.  Amen  

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!