I had occasion to drive through a couple of roundabouts this morning. Which always reminds me of my husband’s wise counsel when the first roundabout was completed in the community where we lived. “Yield to cars coming from the left and, once in the circle, signal your intent to leave as you approach your turn-out.”
Over the past several years, with more new roundabouts in the area, I’ve become increasingly familiar with the protocol of driving through them. Though maybe too familiar with the habits of other drivers.
With our local roundabouts usually favoring going straight through (staying on the major road but slowed to allow side roads entrants to join in), I’ve come to expect that’s what every car is doing – I think I know where they are going because I’m going that way. Today, a car did not exit as I expected him to and continued around and past me. I quickly yielded to him and realized I was expecting him to turn though he didn’t signal that intent. Truth is, it seems like other drivers rarely signal their departure from the circle, and I realized I haven’t been consistently signaling my intent either.
In God’s perfect orchestrating of my life, I got the opportunity three more times to practice roundabout protocol before arriving here to write this message to you. I got it half right for the morning. ☹ But I am aware and determined to do better. And grateful to the Lord for His protection over me and my fellow roundabout drivers as we navigate from here to there.
Which is just where I am (maybe you too??) as we begin to read the Letters of John in the New Testament this summer. I am aware I don’t know much, am grateful for wise counsel to get me headed in the right direction, and determined to gain understanding, see patterns and expectations of how my life can be changed with such growth, and to be consistent in following wise counsel … to walk in the Light.
This is the message we have from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1.5-7
Our challenge this week was to every day ask God to help us to walk in the light so that we might believe what’s true, to do what’s right, and to love others. It starts here: Use your turn signal in the roundabouts. It’s the right thing to do and shows consideration (love) for others.
One of the things I do appreciate about roundabouts is that, if I miss my turn, I get another chance – just go around the circle again, signal, and exit at my intended turn.
If you’ve not yet read from 1 John this week, you’ve got another chance today. God’s signaling an opportunity for you today.
Blessings, Colleen