Ticket

Good Monday morning! It is a quiet day after the chaos this morning...poor husband got pulled over:( We had just finished reading our 'Love Dare' for the day (if you recall, I did 8 love dares, and then started all over so that Zane and I could do them together). Today's love dare was focused on irritability, encouraging us to be more patient with our spouse and not to be so easily frustrated. (Refer back to Dare 6 in the blog for more on this Love Dare.)
Well, we were in the HOV lane, excellerating onto I-85 from 316, when a State Trooper motioned in front of us, then pointed to the side. It looked as if he was pointing at the motorcycle that was driving in front of us to pull over, so Zane was unsure if the State Trooper was motioning to us or the motorcycle. Now, there were several cars behind us going the same speed, so when we saw the blue lights come on and the State Trooper pull onto the road, we couldn't just slam on our breaks. We eased over to the shoulder and looked at each other with confusion. Sure, we may have been going faster than 55, but we were excellerating onto I-85, and going the same speed as everyone around us. (Maybe since our car 'looks' fast the State Trooper felt the need to slow us down??) The first words out of his mouth were, "Why did it take you so long to pull over?" Zane asked the officer to repeat himself, and the Trooper said, "My radar clocked you at 73, which you see as the top number." He turned his radar gun towards us so that we could see it. "The bottom number is how far you drove before you pulled over."
That caught Zane off guard, and he wasn't sure what to say, so I responded to the State Trooper: "Officer, we weren't sure you were pulling us over. When you pointed, it looked like you were telling the motorcyclist to pull over, which is why we kept driving."
Needless to say, we got a ticket and Zane must appear in court in September. Isn't it so aggravating when you get pulled over? Especially when everyone around you was going the same speed...and somehow you get caught? In all fairness though, we were speeding. That ticket was written deservedly. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
Much like we don't have to like the consequences for our actions. But we still deserve whatever discipline is handed down. However, our dear Father showers us with more grace and mercy than we could ever imagine, saving us from serving the sentence we rightfully deserve. Christ paid it all...He gave His life, and now we can freely confess our sins to our Father, come before His throne, lay our burdens, our addictions, at His feet, and ask Him to make us new.
It wouldn't have done Zane any good to say, "I'm sorry, I won't speed again." The State Trooper still would have given him a ticket. And when we come to Jesus and say, "I'm sorry. I won't _______ again," Jesus knows better. We are not strong enough in and of ourselves to make promises we are too weak to keep. But Jesus loves us despite our flaws, and His mercy is new every morning. "Don't confess your sin by telling God how you're going to do better. Just run to the Father and rest in Him...Father, thank You for helping me to understand that the access I have gained into Your grace in which I now stand has come to me by faith. Help me to rejoice in the hope of Your glory!" (Prayer based on Rom. 5:2)

--Inspired by "Praying God's Word," Beth Moore...and the State Trooper.