Follow the leader

The gas went down the moment the green reflected in my eyes. I was off, speeding past the white Toyota pick-up in the left lane beside me. ‘Reliant K’ blared in my back seat as the A/C up front was on full-blast. The back windows were down, and the chaotic sounds of traffic were forcing their way in. The sun was slowly going down behind me creating brilliant glares ahead of me. The wide road began to narrow as I drove on further past the store-lined strip malls filled with busy, stressful shoppers. “Sweet,” I softly say aloud as the red light ahead of me turned green, causing no need to apply any pressure to my screechy brakes. My midnight Camry glides through traffic easily in the wide lanes. My eye catches the yellow ahead, so I begin to slow in to the left-turn lane. I glance over when I stop and notice a young woman smoking with the windows up. Duh, I think, how dumb are you. Then a small head rose in the back seat. She also had two young children in the car. A girl was playing with a Barbie in her car-seat, as a toddler leaned forward to speak to his mother. I shake my head in frustration. There is nothing I can do. Their mother puts them in seat belts to protect them, and buys them toys; when all they need is protection from fumes and a chance at a healthy life. The light turns green and my travel continues. Zooming past Elmo, my friend up top the towering sound barrier, I pass several cars. Along Bangeter, the sun snuck behind my sunglasses, and shone brightly in my eyes. I blinker over into the ‘snail-slow’ lane and smoothly turn on a green. The streets are full, but going fast. I merge into the line as though I am butting into the lunch line. The street curves and we all play ‘follow the leader’ until the comforting white lines of lanes reappear. Another red ahead. I begin to wonder whom I will meet next; who will be my new ‘victim’ of judgment. Colorful cars full of people living busy lives continue to speed through the intersection as I wait patiently. Green again, but this time I cannot hit the gas so hard or the Accord’s bumper will look like lasagna. The car turns and in doing so, gives my freedom back. Ahead I see a sneaky cop not so sneakily hiding behind a bush on the right. I hook it in second, causing me to slowdown fast without my brake lights giving me away. As I pass Mr. Police officer, I am only going four over. I generously speed up because if I do not I will be quite late. Yellow caution lights on the side of the road flash violently, however no one slows. The lights have now become commonplace; they seek for the attention they will not get. I again blinker, but this time into the left turn lane. This is my destination, and I am runnin’ slightly ahead of schedule. I slowly pull into the small parking spot and turn off my faithful Tonero.

Pensiveness

There is something about using an old metal rake. The wide plastic rakes and new high-tech blowers just cannot give you the haven and peace that the metal ones give. They bring back memories of my daddy and I jumping in huge piles of crispy leaves. I begin to remember my friends and I being ‘buried alive’ beneath the chilled blanket of color. Working up a sweat on my brow, my fingers freeze as I struggle to get every leaf into my growing pile. Wishing I could bring back childhood friends, and innocent times. When I finish I slowly lay back, allowing the dry leaves to entangle in my curly hair.

Inner Renewal

The waves of life are crashing all around me. My once calm ocean is terribly distraught. I have entered into the center of the storm that I have created. This world of grief and sorrow spins around me. The wind is fierce as it rips at my clothes and tugs at my weakening hair. Tension builds as the hard rain rises in my little boat. It is hard for me to see my way in this chaos. I find it hard to breathe as the air is sucked from my thirsty lungs. Wreckage swirls around me in the air above. I am all alone as the lightning cracks me conscious. Curse words fly through the air like knifes, cutting as they pass. I struggle to find my path in this place where innocence is gone. I stumble with sickness and fall hard to my knees. The elements try to seize the pleading heart from my chest. Hope, joy, and love are lost in the turbulence.

Then.... just as I was on the verge of closing my pain forever, I felt a light. As though from heaven. I heard sweet singing, and felt a great warmth travel up my numb body. My storm calmed and my ocean became still. Relief and strength filled my every pore. The Great Physician has come to my side; He has heard my pleas for comfort. He has come to heal my sickness, and to make my weaknesses strong again.

I wonder why I ever closed the door. Why did I leave so much happiness for the crap I have found away from it. So long ago my heart turned away from His ray of hope and since my faith crumbled. But now things have changed. I can now emerge again: New, bright, and refreshed. My heart is forever lifted up in His praise.