Article March 12, 2007 Issue

SLOW DOWN AND PRAY

BY KIM SHIPPEY

Not for a moment would I suggest that misdemeanors like speeding tickets—valid or invalid—rank alongside serious illnesses, natural disasters, and other testing experiences people face every day. But often in life we learn invaluable lessons from the smallest incidents. The trust we develop in God, strengthens us for the really tough challenges.

I was reminded of this recently when a state trooper pulled me over on a local turnpike. How quickly the threat of a speeding ticket can cloud a flawless afternoon with self-recrimination, indignation, and frustration! I knew my "violation" wouldn't be just a slap on the wrist. Despite my clean record as a driver, insurance penalties would stretch the fine to hundreds of dollars, plus office time off for a court appearance.

Instead of racing back down the road to photograph the traffic signs that would confirm my innocence, I chose to slow down and pray. I began with the opening lines of the daily prayer Mary Baker Eddy gave in the Manual of The Mother Church: " 'Thy kingdom come; let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin ..." (p. 41).

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