For the first time in my life I had to admit that I was being dishonest with my children and to the laws of Ohio by using this device on a daily basis. If my kids asked me, "Why is that black beeping thing in the window?", I could not think of any appropriate answer to offer them! First, by using the detector I was teaching the children to speed, which was unsafe for them. Second, I showed the kids how to disobey the law. Finally, I broke the law by speeding every day.
When class was over, I removed the radar detector from my car. During the next few months I drove to work at the posted 65 MPH on the freeway. This "obeying the law" experience produced two profound results, one positive and one negative.
While I had the radar detector in my car, the police officers who sat in the median strip with their radar guns were the "bad guys" trying to catch me. After removing the detector, the police became the "good guys" attempting to cite the drivers who sped by me on the freeway. I also noticed that I was much calmer and less stressed to begin the work day. The cars that flew past me gained only one or two car lengths ahead of me when we all had arrived at the first red light off the interstate highway.
On the way to and from work, I was the ONLY driver obeying the speed limit! I experienced everyone flying around me, flashing their lights, honking horns, giving me inappropriate gestures, and tailgating where I could see the whites of their eyes in the rear-view mirror. After a few days of this discourteous behavior, I became even more stressed than when I had been speeding!
Ironically, I found myself writing letters to all five police departments that had jurisdiction over the freeway to request more officers to enforce the speed limit. Every single law enforcement agency replied by saying that they "lacked money and manpower to supply additional freeway patroling". So I tried a different approach to relieve my daily "road rage" stress. Whenever I observed a patrol car in the median, I sent a letter of appreciation to the police chief for sending out the officer. I also asked the chief to place my letter in the patrol officer's personnel file.
These "thank you" notes did not cause an increase in speed enforcement, but they did produce results that surprised me. One day I waited in line at the cell phone store to get my new phone activated when a deputy sheriff walked in. We struck up a conversation, and I discovered that he was in charge of dispatching deputies for freeway patrol. I asked the deputy if he was aware of all the road rage on the interstate, and I told him that it felt like I was being punished for obeying the law. He replied, "What's your name?" When I told him, the deputy smiled a big smile and said, "So YOU are the one who has been writing the complimentary letters for my deputies! I have commended these officers which has fired them up to go patroling. Also, our department receives very few positive notes from the public, so your comments could help my men and women receive a raise or promotion."
During the next few months, drivers continued to cut abruptly in front of me, pass on the berm, and zip past me at 80 MPH. Finally the idea hit me to pray about this situation. I asked God to give me the strength and patience to continue obeying the speed limit. A few days later I was driving in the freeway's center lane when I noticed a huge semi-truck in the same lane ahead of me. This seemed unusual as the vast majority of 18 wheeled trucks on this stretch of highway during rush hour kept to the right-hand "slow lane".
Approaching the semi-truck, I saw the answer to my prayers. Written on its back doors, in bold black letters, was "GOOD SHEPHERD". I followed God's truck which travelled at 65 MPH all the way to work, and no one could cut in front of me; the most pleasant drive I had experienced since the "10 Commandments" Sunday School discussion!
--- Doctor Mike
This true story was lovingly submitted by my friend, Debby. Thank you Debby!
Since adulthood I have not always been as committed to my faith as I knew I should have been. I have learned it is much easier to walk through this life with a loving hand guiding you. And through all my trials He has always been there. A few months ago I went to hear a woman speak who claimed to be able to see the angels that surround us. I envisioned a fun night out with the girls, what I got was much more.
This woman spoke directly to my heart. She told of her near death experience and the knowledge she acquired about God's love and His plan for us. Still I listened with some skepticism. Before I knew it, I could feel all of the love she was talking about surround me. It enveloped me like a cloak. The tears just ran down my cheeks, but I was not sad.
She said that we should not judge, that we should be open and receive and give all the love that surrounds us and I felt a lot of old burdens leave me. She told me that the angel that was with me was not to protect me from physical harm but that she was there to help my spirit. She said if I asked she would make her presence known to me. I pretty much knew that would never happen but after that evening I found myself compelled to share the story she had shared with others. Then I backed off as it was offending some of my "friends". Until my husband's grandfather died.
At his funeral I was very much at peace with his death as I knew he had found and lived with Christ for many years, but it was hard to listen to the heartache of his children as they laid their father to rest and I wept. As I was standing in the church crying, I asked in my heart for strength to help the others. At that moment I knew I was not alone. Where I had felt shaky and wobbly standing there, I now felt the most gentle yet strong hand supporting the small of my back and another hand holding my elbow where it was bent holding the hymnal. I knew then, I was not alone, nor have I ever been truly alone...all I needed to do was ask. I did and I continue to everyday. Thanks, Mike, for listening.
