Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I drive for a living, sort of. I average 2 hours a day, I’m not complaining, it’s part of my life based on where I live and where I work! In fact, I have driven “for work” all my professional life. I went to college at Indiana University (one hour from Indianapolis where I lived) and remember the drives back and forth to Bloomington with my college roommate buddy. My first job was as a Regional Consultant based out of Atlanta where I traveled the country by air and by highway. I then moved to outside sales for a giftware company. In those days, pre-computer, I lugged around my samples and sold store to store.
I traveled the state of Indiana for that job, selling gifts, stuffed animals, and the now-famous troll dolls!! I was promoted to a Regional Sales Manager and began to travel a two state area between Indiana and Kentucky. I eventually lived in Kentucky for a few years and still commuted back to Indiana.
I moved to new home construction sales and had long drives to the subdivisions where I was placed. Years later as I began my ministry career attending Trinity Lutheran Seminary located in Columbus, Ohio where for three years I had a weekly 6 hour round trip drive!
11 years later after living locally near the church’s I pastored, I began the Crawfordsville (where I live) to Indianapolis/Brazil commute. I’ve learned a lot about life from behind the wheel:
*guys in older model pick-up trucks always have their left elbows out the window…
*I chuckle when I see the prison signs followed by the inevitable “don’t pick up hitchhikers” sign….
*dogs love to hang their head out the window, cats not so much…
*no matter how “clean” the rest area looks, it always feels dirty to me….
*billboards are now mostly electronic, flashing multiples messages at us. I love the one I saw once “Ignore your teeth, they’ll go away!”
*motorcyclists on highways seem to be taking a risk with their lives…
*there is usually an abandoned car on the side of the road somewhere..…
And for more than 30 years I haven’t had any major accidents or problems in bad weather during all this commuting. And I appreciate knowing now, that no matter where we go, how we get there, or what happens Emmanuel (God with us) (Matthew 1:23) is always there! Be blessed this week, drive safely, and enjoy life, God has the wheel!!!
Come travel to northern Ohio and join your VdC family for the Annual Gathering! It’s never too late, come and be with us!
Pr. Doug
Eric is our current Webmaster and works on the NLS Communications Team. Raised in Judaism, he found Christ and the New Testament at age 16 in a Southern Baptist Church. He searched many denominations for the real church, only to find the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. He's worked for One for Israel, a group of native Israeli believers who are sharing the gospel in the holy land in Hebrew and is part of the only Hebrew speaking seminary in Israel.
