Stay In Your Lane

Have you ever been side swiped?

Driving along, minding your own business and BAM! Someone comes out of nowhere into your lane and takes the side of your car with them. Or, maybe YOU sideswiped someone else? What was going down in your brain? Going too fast, maybe didn't see them at all? Maybe you were trying to avoid something in the road???

Whatever the case was it never ends well when we don't stay in our own lane.

The story behind the title:
Returning home from Whole Foods, I pass the area where the boys were in a car accident about 8 years ago. I usually take a second and reflect on that event. Very thankful it wasn't any worse. Our car was totaled but the boys were ok. A lady pulled out in front of/into them. This particular day I was thanking God just for life in general and carried on. I pulled up to the light in the right turn lane but we were turning left. The SUV beside me decided he/she was the only one on the road and turned wide into my lane like I wasn't there. In all honesty, I'm pretty sure they just flat out didn't see me. They had a HUGE vehicle and mine is small. That being said...

If you stay in your lane when you turn, um... it's actually an illegal turn when you turn wide into the other lane. Ask my boys how they know this LOL

Honking my horn is one of my LEAST favorite things to do and only happens in situations like this but rest assured I HONKED my horn. Thankfully between them correcting and me slamming on my breaks we avoided an accident.

As I was reflecting on this near accident the rest of the way home, I was convicted.

Stay in your lane Joy

In life, we often refer to staying out of other people's business as "stay in your own lane". Or when we take on more than we should "stay in your own lane"

Admitedly, it takes effort. Intentionality. Here's a challenge for me... what is my lane??? So many good anaolgies with this thought! One I hadn't considered was how by not staying in our own lane we could be pushing someone else OUT of their lane. Even to the point of causing chaos, backing up traffic, metaphorically speaking.

Here's my challange - to myself but if you would like to jump in, feel free :)

Find your lane.
Beware of distractions.
Stay focused on where you are going
Pay attention on sharp turns.
If by chance you need to change lanes, BLINKER PEOPLE!!!!!
Enjoy the ride.