NO LEFT TURN

Have you ever been stuck behind a vehicle making an illegal left hand turn in which there is a sign that clearly reads, “NO LEFT TURN?” This has happened to me on numerous occasions lately and I am getting so tired of having to wait while some big jacked up SUV with a Christian fish on its tailgate illegally turns left. I’ve blown the horn at them but that only makes the situation worse as I usually get the universal sign of peace! (The middle finger).

Traffic laws are set for a reason. They prevent accidents, allow for the proper flow of traffic and keep us safe. That is why we have laws in this country; in order to protect our rights, provide us proper guidance and give us much needed structure in life.

What is it about being human that causes us to disobey laws, not care about the welfare of others, and simply do as we please? Why do we think that we are better than others and the same laws don’t apply to us? Why? The answer to that question is that we are a selfish lot. We are ego driven, self-centered and self-seeking in nature. All we think about is ourselves, and what benefits us in the moment. We are a society of self-serving people. 

We have lost our compassion and sensitivity for others. We have lost our love and the value it brings to the community. At our worst we are all about our own wants and needs at the expense of relationships. At our best we are selfish, having somehow lost the notion of sacrificial love.

A simple NO LEFT TURN sign is there for our safety and the safety of others. On a spiritual level it is there in order to give our lives guidance, and trust God by not taking spiritual short cuts. God is our great guide and we are to follow in the direction in which God leads our lives. That doesn’t guarantee that the roads will be smooth and less bumpy. It doesn’t guarantee that the roads will be straight and wide either. What it does guarantee is that we are in relationship with God.

Look at Adam and Eve. All they had to do was obey one simple rule. Don’t eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Rather than turn away from the tree, they went against God and turned towards it. And once tempted they ate of the forbidden fruit and found themselves thrown out of paradise. They wanted to take a spiritual short cut to be like God, all knowing and wise. They thought that disobeying the law would get them to their destination faster. Instead their short cut led them to a long life of turmoil and working in the dirt.

Spiritual direction is a difficult path. It requires discipline. It requires us to trust and obey God in difficult situations. Perhaps situations that seems totally unfair or hopeless. But it is by obeying God’s laws that we find peace, comfort and solace. It is by listening to God’s Words of Comfort that we can manage being stuck behind the guy making a left hand turn in a NO LEFT TURN lane. When given the finger we don’t have to return the favor.