I just finished watching qualifying for the Nextel NASCAR race at Bristol. The race is set for tomorrow night, but now the starting grid is set for the race. They’re on a short track this week and that means a lot of bumping, grinding, rubbing, and racing. It also means short tempers with, at times, helmets and yes, even fists flying. For the drivers, it’s all in a days work as they go fast and turn left.

Sometimes in this journey we call life we get a little wound up and it seems all we’re doing is going fast and turning left. Tempers can flair as we bump into one another and sometimes even get out of control. Many times we simply add to our stress level as a result of not willing to slow down to either let the other guy go past, or reflect on what God might be trying to teach us in the moment.

As I wrap up another day, I’m trying to slow down for a few minutes to ponder the events of the day, and yes even the week. Maybe this should be a weekend set aside for contemplation, instead of simply going fast and turning left.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus