My Fingers Hurt

Sometimes I try to hold on to things so tightly that my fingers begin to hurt! It's like trying to drive in rush hour traffic in a city you are not familiar with. About 2 years ago, Lee Ann and I went to Los Angeles and drove from LAX to Anaheim during evening rush hour. YIKES - what an experience. Start...stop..start...stop...sta**..stop!..70 MPH to 10 MPH in 1.8 seconds! It was about an hour's "drive". By the time we arrived at the hotel, my hands and knuckles were aching from holding on to the steering wheel so hard, my shoulders were sore from being tense for a solid hour and my head was throbbing!

I do the same thing in my spiritual walk sometimes...OK...often! Rather than taking the cab, I tend to want to sit in the driver's seat. Rather than enjoying the ride, I am fixed on the goal of getting to where I am trying to get! I hold on to things that aren't really mine to hold on to! Get tense about things I really have no control over.

On that same trip, we took an afternoon and drove from Anaheim to Laguna Beach on the Pacific Coast Highway. What a difference! Smooth, relaxing...even though it was cool (65 in January everyone brings out their coats there) we put the top down on the rented covertible. We stopped at a little cafe for lunch, walked along the beach with our shoes off, held hands, spent some time talking to one another, listening to God together and just enjoying the momemt for what it was. That day is "imprinted" in my mind...that's my "happy place" :) (no I'm not crazy yet). I sure felt relaxed and refreshed in my relationships with the Lord and with Lee Ann. I wanted to stay there.

We had to leave to get to the airport a day and half later during morning rush hour...at least I still have my "happy place".