I remember jamming out to Three Dog Night, Genesis, Steely Dan, Cat Stevens and more as the musical soundtrack combined with the rolling North Georgia mountains. But there were other moments, listening to teaching from Tony Evans, Charles Stanley and Chuck Swindoll on Christian radio. And then finally there was the silence afforded during this journey . . .
It's been my experience that long commutes are not beneficial to your stress levels, especially on the way to work. You've got an uncomfortable length of time to focus on your days "To Do" lists as well as field calls that threaten to derail the plans of your day.
Side note: Because of this added time on the road I talked my boss into letting me get a "Bag Phone". (Google it for a laugh if you're not familiar with this cellular phone) - It seemed like a good idea at the time but the combination of the expenses dealing with keeping track of all of the minutes and fighting the urge to call friends and family just to show off (Once again I know this is not relatable in today's culture but trust me being able to make phone calls from your vehicle used to be cool) The point being that on-the-way to work my mind was filled with tasks, challenges, and the realization that I was still hours away from being able to start working on any of these projects.
After working fourteen hour days the commute home didn't hold much appeal. But there were those rare days where I got off work before six or seven and didn't have to worry about returning to work early in the morning. Those were the days where I could let my mind disengage and start to regain my ability to appreciate the world around me. Combine that with beautiful countryside views and it was the perfect antidote to a long week of work.
And finally there was another benefit to this long drive, the best benefit actually. Time alone with my Creator.
I'm convinced that one of the enemies most potent strategy is to clutter our minds with so much stuff that the light of God's presence begins to fade from view. It's also important to remember that it is not Him that is retreating from view but us. When we wake up we are instantly greeted with emails, news reports, text messages and calls from our phones that never leave our side. ( Hmm . . . ?) We hit the ground running, trying to navigate the personal and the work world that has morphed into the same for so many of us. Then we are ready to switch off our brains and be entertained. What choices will it be tonight? Five hundred channels, movies on demand, streaming services galore, instant music and videos on our phone, whew - just typing this makes me a little tired. Then let's factor in the stress of our modern world. We are in the middle of an pandemic, prices are going up on essential goods, the unemployment rate is higher than it was in the Great Depression and our government can't speak with one voice if you put a gun to their head. We're stuck inside, businesses are closed, sports are cancelled and the world is in chaos. Oh yeah, we still have bills to pay . . .
So guess what God says about a life so filled with challenges, chaos, and noise that there is no time left over for Him? Fruitless. You see in John 15: 4-5 Jesus said these words, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." If you are not healthy, you cannot impact the world with your passion and message. And Jesus said the key to staying healthy it to remain in Him. How do you do that? By spending time with Him in His Word. By letting the words of scripture wash over your soul and chase away the mundane and unimportant from our minds. Listen to the way Jesus closes this teaching, " . . . apart from me you can do nothing." Not you can't perform up to your standards, or you can't accomplish all that you wish, He plainly says we can do nothing without Him.
Now I'm not sure how I got started on this little ramble but I'm reminded that there is definitely a sweet spot when it comes to the commute from home to work. Too close and you struggle to shed the troubles and tasks of the day. Too long and you add countless hours to your workweek, robbing hours away from family and friends. But every now and then I'm reminded that a long drive is just the antidote that the body and mind requires.
Thanks for stopping in and giving my musings a passing glance. See you next week!
