Get It In Gear

When Dennis restored the ’69 Camaro, he added a 6-speed transmission, though the original car was automatic. Watching a lot of car restoration shows, you rarely see them build one with an automatic transmission…I guess there’s just something about the feel of the engine revving up and you being in control of changing the gears.

I recently read, “a journey of a thousand miles begins in first gear.” I think the original saying is that the journey begins with a step. But it made me think about the new year and how we are eager to make resolutions to do better in the coming year, whether it’s health, finances, relationships, etc. Sometimes, when we set goals, we want the end result of that goal NOW. We want to lose weight, but we want to be at our goal weight NOW. We want to build up a rainy-day fund, but we want it in our savings account NOW. You get the idea. But things worth having are worth working for and waiting for and they always begin with that first step…or first gear.

When you’re driving a standard transmission, you have to listen to the engine, and when you’ve done it enough, you know what it sounds like when you need to switch gears. If you’ve ever driven one, you also know what it sounds like if you try to start out in second gear instead of first. The gears are there to progress the car to its desired end speed. In life, we can’t abort the process of obtaining our goals. There will be hills and valleys, but trudging uphill and pacing ourselves builds strength, so that when you reach your goal, you’re able to maintain it. And just like a good driver listens to their engine, you too must listen to the Holy Spirit, the driving force in your life, because it will guide you along the way, prompting you to switch gears, speed up or slow down.

I pray 2020 is a great year for you. I hope you enjoy the journey to 2021 and that it is amazing. If you’ve not yet embraced the new year, what are you waiting for? Get it in gear and drive!