Moonlit night on the Glasgow Farm

Sometimes good people do bad things. The Bible’s loaded with their redemption stories. We all struggle with not doing what we should and doing what we shouldn’t (read Romans 7:15)! That being said, I did a bad thing last week. Let me back up a few days…
Our youngest daughter Ellie totaled our 13 year old VW bug last week, when she drove over a manhole. The damages equaled more than the value of the car. So, we’re trying to figure out where to buy a car for $2000 (value of VW Bug) or how to fix $3500 of damage with $2000. In the meantime, our insurance company gave us a rental car.
The rental car company loaned us a 2013 Dodge, Charger. Now when Dale saw this car, he decided that we should drive the rental and give Ellie our 2000 Echo- since I was making a trip to Charlotte, NC the very next day. It seemed like the most sensible thing to do.
Let me just say… a V-8 engine is vastly different from an Echo. One push of the gas petal and you’re going faster than you bargained for.
Now, I’ve learned a lot of lessons in my life and speeding is one of those lessons. I work very hard not to speed.
I was less than an hour from Charlotte, following the flow of traffic when I saw flashing lights in my rear view mirror. It was several cars behind me. I had to wait for the people in the right lane to slow down- so I could get out of the cop’s way. He was in a huge hurry. I pulled over to find that it was me he was in a hurry for!
I didn’t have a clue what I was being pulled over for. Everyone was going the same speed in both lanes. . . I hadn’t looked down at my speedometer for a while.
He said, “I stopped you for speeding. You were going 81 in a 65.” Then he left. He went to his car and wrote my summons. When he came back he said, “This is a criminal offense- you can be sent to jail and fined up to $1000. Get yourself an attorney.” I was speechless. What in the world?
I try to be good and follow the law and here I am: a common criminal.
It’s terrible; a criminal charge, points on your record, the cost of the ticket, and the court date? Not only that, but it’s on the day before Thanksgiving. It’s happening on the day that all mommas are at home baking pumpkin pies and homemade dressing for the family.
I don’t think they’ll lock me up. My driving record is good. But none the less,  guilty doesn’t feel good.
Sometimes good people do bad things– but the good news is that the ultimate judge, Jesus- forgives us as soon as we repent and  ask forgiveness when we do wrong things–Halleluiah! The Lord reminded me of David. He was a man after God’s own heart and killed a man for a woman. Peter denied Christ three times. Both suffered for what they did, but both were completely  forgiven, restored and used mightily for God.
I love Jesus’ conversation with Peter after his denial of Him. Jesus not only forgave him and wiped his slate clean but asked him to feed His sheep.  I pondered all this in my heart, and laid everything at the feet of Jesus, and went to sleep with joy.
Sometimes good people do bad things. The key is; to learn from our mistakes, ask God to help us to overcome our weaknesses,  become stronger from our experiences and live in the freedom Jesus paid His life to give us! Now, if you can pray for me when you’re baking those pies the day before Thanksgiving, that the NC judge will be as forgiving as Jesus!

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