by Victoria Heinecke

Staying calm can help us see the lighter moments in life.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I enjoy driving sports cars. My first car was a 1979 Ford Pinto with a 3.0L V6 engine, which gave it a lot of get-up-and-go. The response was a little too good; it met its demise when I totaled it in an accident. My next car was a Mustang. It had a 4-cylinder engine but I didn’t care – she was the iconic Mustang, and even if she had a puny drivetrain, she was beautiful.

So when I see a Smart ForTwo car in my travels, I tend to feel slightly amused. These tiny cars sometimes look more like golf carts as they share the road with sports cars and pickup trucks.

On the other hand, there are times where a Smart car has an advantage. Here, a customer left their shopping cart in a parking space. Many of us would have to get out of the car to move the cart, so our car or truck could fit. Some of us may utter a colorful metaphor as we move the cart, or give up and look for another parking space.

“Fools give full vent to their rage,
    but the wise bring calm in the end.”
Proverbs 29:11 New International Version

This Smart car parked behind the shopping cart, and it fit in the space with room to spare. The driver may have been piqued by the cart, but made the best of a situation which might aggravate others.

God has been teaching me the concept of “going with the flow” for the past year. In this Proverb, God teaches us to take a moment and assess before losing our temper. Don’t let the little things build up steam, and let the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) guide your actions.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:25 English Standard Version

Go with the flow in the Holy Spirit.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Colorado Springs, Colorado