100 MPH

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Confession . . . I slightly exceeded the speed limit a few times on the Hot Rod Power Tour. Second confession . . . I'm using "slightly" in a highly relative fashion.

Actually, I was going pretty fast. Before you write me off as a careless speed demon, hear me out. The lesson may not justify breaking the law, but it might ease my conscience a bit :)

I was driving a quiet stretch of interstate somewhere between Indianapolis and Muskegon when a little silver Mazda blew past me. Imports on the Tour are like sharks in fresh water, you just don't see many. The Hot Rod Power Tour is predominantly American muscle. The kid revved his engine in a friendly challenge, and I took the bait. I downshifted and put the pedal to the metal. We were off!

It turns out the driver (Ben) had swapped a big American V8 for his little Mazda engine. Now that is hot rodding! With that engine swap, Ben was riding a silver bullet. You can click here if you want to see a picture of the engine.

It doesn't take long traveling north of 100 to change one's perspective of "normal." After 100 m.p.h., traveling 70 m.p.h. feels rather pedestrian. In fact, it FEELS slow. To get an idea, drive 70 on the Interstate and then slow down to 40. You might just think you have become a turtle.

What is true on the interstate highway is true on the highway called life.

IF you run at breakneck speeds going from deadline to deadline, meeting to meeting, and event to event, and IF you stay up late, get up early, gulp down coffee for that extra pick-me-up, and IF you fill up every spare minute, and keep the pedal to the metal, THEN not only will the pace leave you out of breath, but when you do finally throttle back it will feel . . . well . . . weird! You will think you are going VERY SLOW and be tempted to speed up again just to feel "normal." Resist that urge! Stay in the slow lane. This is your body recalibrating. This is good for your soul! Rest. Reconnect. Restore.

Richard Foster says, "In contemporary society our adversary majors in three things, noise, hurry, and crowds."[1] The devil says, "Go fast!" God says, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 ESV).

Make no doubt about it, there's a real rush that comes from speeding, but we find God and restore the soul in the slow lane.

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[1] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (25th Anniversary Edition), page 15.