Yesterday I found myself in a unique situation: I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on Highway 278 in Hiram -- and I was grateful to God to be there! I know, it sounds crazy to me, too. Normally, I would be frustrated or disappointed or even angry at the inconvenience. But there I was, sitting in horrible traffic, smiling like a fool, relieved to be there. How did this come to be? you ask.
For the past few days, our area had been pounded with relentless rain and the ground had become saturated. Creeks and rivers began to overflow their banks and spill into neighborhoods. Roads were washed out and many collapsed. Lots of folks lost houses and possessions, a few lost their lives. It was a nightmare.
I had tried to drive in to the office that morning but kept running into closed roads and washed out bridges, doubling back and detouring. Finally, it became clear that it was futile so I decided to head back home. Only I couldn't seem to get back home. Road conditions were worsening by the minute. Every route back was either blocked or submerged. Except one. Highway 278 was still open and passable and would get me back to where I needed to be. And it was clogged with traffic for miles.
I looked down and noticed that my gas gauge showed nearly empty. The fuel range indicator said I could go maybe 10 miles before I ran out of gas. I tried to fill up several times but every gas station was out of service due to the flooding. Traffic lights were out here and there and things were getting ugly. My only hope for gas and escape became Highway 278. Now if only I could make it there before I ran out of gas.
I finally found a way back on to 278 and found a gas station still open and working. I filled up and with a sigh of relief and a quick phone call home, settled in, relieved to be sitting in stop and go traffic, because at least I was going home.
You know what changed my attitude toward sitting in traffic? Perspective. As long as I believed there was another way, I wasn't willing to endure it. But when the truth of my situation became clear, not only was I willing, I was thankful! Was it fun? No, but it was necessary. How's that for some perspective.
Isn't that what we all need sometimes? A change in perspective. We think we have it bad until we see someone who has it worse. We think we know everything and our parents are stupid until we turn 40 and have kids who think they know everything and we are stupid. We need the curtains to roll back and give us a glimpse of the entire scene, not just our little corner of the stage. In video production, one way to do this is to zoom out. You start a shot focused on something close up but as you pull back and the rest of the surroundings come into view, the object that once seemed so big and significant begins to take it's proper place.
I think that may be what Paul was talking about when he told the Philippian church,
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Phil. 2:3-4)He said, "Hey, look around you! There are other people here, too. There are other stories, other lives. It's not about you!"
He then points to Jesus as One who had every right to focus on Himself. It really was all bout Him! But look at what Paul says,
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:5-11)
Scripture zooms the camera out further in Romans 8:
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God... And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Rom. 8:18-19, 28-30)
We are destined for glory. We are to be conformed to His image. Justified. Glorified. even if it means suffering through the longer, harder, more frustrating route for now. If that is what it takes than we should be not only willing, but grateful.
God, zoom out on our lives until we see the big picture and our place in it. Give us the humility to endure whatever it takes with a thankful heart because it is producing in us "an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Cor. 4:16) Grant to us the grace to see each other through the lens of Your Spirit, and give each other the benefit of the doubt when it seems like we don't deserve it. Make us more like You, Jesus!
