My run in with the law in Richland and Pennsylvania

Tweet: In New Jersey for the week. Family, Settlers, rest, and studying the book of Esther. #myperfectvacation

I was pulled over by the Richland cop the other day for my passenger side brake light being out and it reminded me of Beth and I's trip home from New Jersey this past Christmas. 

Let me back up a little bit, my wife Beth (BWE) is from New Jersey originally and every year around Christmas we take a week and head out to the land of The Mob, loud gum chewing, and Snookie. This year was no different, except for the way home.

We left New Jersey around nine in the morning on Dec. 23rd, so we could make it home in time to spend Christmas Eve with my family. We stopped to grab coffee from Dunkin Donuts and make sure we were stocked up on Arnold Palmer Monster energy drinks (yes they make them, yes they are delicious, and they have less than 3g of sugar and only 20 calories...life changer).

After that we set out on I-80 West and headed home. I usually set the cruise control around 75 MPH and only pass other cars when I have to. I have learned that rushing home gets you no where. Well, I soon was very grateful for the fact that I wasn't rushing home. Once we crossed over into Pennsylvania you would have thought Osama wasn't really dead and that he was driving a car through the state. There were cops everywhere! I kid you not, every ten miles through almost the entire state, there was either a cop waiting to pull someone over or one that had already pulled someone over. I soon realized that because of this, I was in the same pack of cars for nearly 60 miles. Here's why.

Beautiful Pennsylvania on a cloudy day in December.

Every time someone in the front of the pack would slam on their brakes we would all slow down to pass the cop and then proceed to go slow for about another mile and then begin to slowly speed back up to 75-78 MPH. The same thing would happen over and over and over again. Cop - Brakes - Slow - Speed Up. It was comical, yet quickly saddening.

I realized that this wasn't just a rare glimpse into the transportation minds of every-second-counts Americans, this was an accurate reflection of our natural tendencies. We push the envelope just enough to feel safe, then as soon as we feel like we're going to get caught or be held accountable we slam on the brakes, change course, or begin our rehearsed personality to cover up our true intentions. Time goes by, sometimes it only take minutes, for us to revert straight back into the secretly rebellious life we are leading. The best way I have ever heard character defined is that it's "who you are when no when else is around." 

Jesus calls us to walk in the light because one day everything done in secret will be brought back into the light. What are you struggling with that you wouldn't want posted on Facebook for all your friends to see? What area of your life do you not want others to ask you about? There's freedom in confession and in Him there's forgiveness and grace, but we have to walk towards the light, and I'm not talking about the red and blue flashing ones. :)