When We Fall Asleep At The Wheel

Several months ago, after a funeral I celebrated, the deceased’s wife commented to me that her husband had ‘fallen asleep at the wheel.’

She didn’t mean in the literal sense, she was trying to convey how he had spent the past five or ten years doing nothing really — just existing. And after forty years of marriage, she confided that their relationship was more as distant room-mates than husband and wife.

It happens all the time, and it regularly damages or destroys businesses, political candidates, marriages, and just about anything else you can think of. For many it can be identified as the onset of depression.

It can happen to any of us. The routine cycles of life — earning a living, raising a family, keeping an office running — can keep us so fully occupied that we lose sight of the bigger picture. We usually remember the daily ‘whats’ of our lives, but we can easily forget the ‘whys,’ the reasons behind our big life choices.

And when we forget those larger purposes, a time of wandering will surely follow. Life will pass us by and God’s big dreams for us will not come true.

The life and breath that God gives us so generously every day is a treasure that must not be squandered away. So, lest we fall asleep at the wheel, we need to ask ourselves two key questions early and often.

First, what is God asking of me at this time in my life? How should I be spending His gift? Second, how well am I doing at building my part of God’s kingdom? Are my deeds measuring up to God's hopes for me?

Spend some quiet time with God right now; open your heart for some honest answers. And don’t be afraid. The Spirit can grow and lift you, even when you’re dealing with bad news.
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And you certainly won't be falling asleep at the wheel!

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Gracious Father, we know how easy it is to fall into a rut. Grant us the vision to see all the beauty You place before us each and every day, the awareness of those who love us, and the sense to understand how easy it is to lose what we love most. Guide us to find ways to discover our lives and celebrate all that is good within it. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen

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Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

The Book in the Attic

Who Are We Forgetting?

Helping to Ease The Pain

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