Sometimes God speaks to us in a loud, bold voice, especially when it’s something we know we should or should not do. And other times God speaks to us from that quiet, still voice in our heart. Those are the times when our own thoughts, wills and emotions seem to act as cotton in our spiritual ears. I think that God speaks in ONE TONE; it seems our desire to hear, and a selective hearing on our part, makes it harder for us to hear Him.

Today, I was driving down US1 around lunchtime so there was a good amount of traffic on the road. Between the smell of gasoline and emissions from tail pipes, and cigarette smoke at stoplights, I noticed something amiss. As I was cruising from one light to the next, I noticed the car next to me very clearly was running on a near flat back left tire. Immediately my protective instinct kicked into effect, and the first thought that came to mind was I do not want to see an accident today. Secondly, I don't want this car to crash into mine if that tire blows today. So I did what any other concerned American would do, I attempted to flag down the woman to offer my chivalrous aid to let her know that she needed to pull over as soon as possible and change that tire. So I speeded up, noticeably to be able to see eye to eye to let her know my important message.

As soon as our eyes met, I raised my hands and began to point at her back left tire. She responded with a surprised look in her eyes, then locked her eyes onto the road ahead of her, and gripped onto her steering wheel with both hands. She then began to press her accelerator pedal a little further to the floor, so as she sped up I sped up, faster and faster. And the pursuit was on. Before I knew it had traveled about 5 miles off the road I needed to be on, and in the attempt to help out this woman, I lost the focus of the path that I was on. Needless to say she did acknowledge me in the end with a wave of her hand out the window--for some reason with only one finger.

It came to me though, how many times God has tried to get my attention. I was driving my "Life Car," with 3 tires flat, and an engine blown out down a mountain at 100 miles an hour in the midst of my addiction. God was right there, trying to get my attention. But in my mind, my car was operating fine. There was no need to slow down...No Way! But in reality I was already dead. Completely dead inside, deaf to spiritual things and deaf to any hope for my life.

Oh Lord thank You for guiding and protecting me on my life's journey. Thank You for not letting me die when I crashed into that mountain coming down Lake Arrowhead. Thank You for protecting me even when I rolled up my windows, and gave You the finger every day of my life when I was living in addiction to myself. Thank You for giving me ears to hear You, and a heart to feel Your arms around me. Holding me even when it seems like no one else is there. Thank You Lord for not giving up on me!

In His Service,
James Anthony Ogle