Liv
Extracts of Truth & Encouragement from a Growth Journey with God
Collision Course
Do you remember the post-deer-accident picture of my little Geo Prizm, shown in the “Wonder–An Additional Offering” post? Well, following that collision, my little car was, thankfully, repaired! One rainy Good Friday, several years later, I was driving that same car home, on my lunch hour, to take our dog for a walk. I was heading over and down a hill, toward a green light, at the bottom of the descent. A vehicle, approaching from the opposite direction, was in their left turn lane, watching me to see if they could make their turn safely. They, obviously, felt they had enough time, accelerated, and made their left turn, crossing my lane in front of me. An SUV, which was right behind that vehicle, decided that, if the first vehicle made it, they could, too. They didn’t leave time to assess my speed, the rainy weather, the time it would take them to turn safely, or make any other responsible judgment call (bulging eye and rolling eye emojis, please!!); they just gunned it, right as I was approaching the intersection! They barreled into the left front of my little car, bringing me to an abrupt stop, and rendering my car undriveable…they totaled it (I don’t have pictures of that one…)!!
Force, the strength applied to movement, is necessary to decelerate a moving object. I believe God has made purposeful connections between physical things and spiritual ideas, and physics is no exception. I’m not a Science person, but God led me to this. Stick with me for a minute; there IS a purpose to what may seem like a boring rabbit trail!
The faster an object is moving, the more force will be necessary to slow it down; a large object, like a car (even a small one), will require increased force to decrease it’s speed or bring it to a stop. If you have a long time to slow down, a little force will be needed. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of time, when that SUV pulled out in front of me, which proved that a large force, applied over a shorter time, changes the momentum (or impulse) of an object!
An example of a nearly elastic collision is a ball, getting hit with an object (like a bat or someone’s foot); when it’s hit, the bat or foot remains separate from the ball. Some kinetic energy, which relates to movement, is lost, in this kind of collision, to heat or sound.
A perfectly inelastic collision is when two objects, like two vehicles, collide and remain together as one physical body. In this type of collision, total momentum is protected from being destroyed, but total kinetic energy isn’t. Kinetic energy may change into the sound you hear, when the two vehicles collide; heat energy; or internal energy (like, damage to the vehicle!).
Have you ever been cruising along, having an amazing day, when someone says something negative about you (or you perceive it that way, anyway), does something mean to you, or just doesn’t consider you at all? Yup! Collision! Depending on the level of the offense (“force”), it can slow you down, change your momentum (or impulse), or bring your world to a stop.
What kind of “collision” have you experienced this week? Was it like a nearly elastic collision, where some of your movement (displayed in your life as joy, service, encouragement,…) is lost, yet it continues right on moving? Or is it like a perfectly inelastic collision, where you and your “collision” are now one (you’re still moving right along, but in a different direction…and internally damaged)?
There’s a different type of inelastic collision (or “force”) that remains together in a positive way after the impact; that’s the relationship with your Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit. When you and Christ come together, the impact of the Holy Spirit’s power can protect your momentum from being destroyed, change the sound others hear, heat up the passions He wants to ignite in you, and heal the internal damage created from outside forces, using them for good in His Kingdom.
“Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.”
Romans 8:5 GNT
“16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively, without regard for God and His precepts]. 17 For the sinful nature has its desire, which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.”
Galatians 5:16-17 AB
Let’s not let damaging collisions with other humans decrease our momentum for the Kingdom! Let our impulses continue to move by the strength of the Spirit of God, in the direction He wants us to go, even when hurtful things collide with us so unexpectedly. The strength of God’s Spirit is greater than the strength of humans! Think on these Scriptures; let’s make the decision to focus our minds on the truths He is teaching us in the Word of God and move (walk) with Him! Sound easy? Not likely,…but He isn’t called the Helper in Scripture for nothing!
Praying for you, Liv Bouquet!
4 Comments on “Collision Course”
Leave a Reply
Liv 
Friend!! What beautiful imagery of exactly the encouragement my heart needs!! I am guilty of letting others mess with my spiritual momentum!
I just wrote this prayer for my kitchen window…
Be my collision today, Lord. Be what stops me in my tracks to move forward only with you. Please take all other forces to push me in your direction rather than off the path you have prepared for me.
Amen!
LikeLike
I love this!! You have such a way with words! I pray this, as well. Thank you for being raw and sharing this with us! Inspiring and encouraging!
LikeLike
Please know, too, friend, that you are an answer to my prayer today. I can’t even tell you how the LORD led me to begin writing this post. I saw the connection He showed me through Physics, but it was waaay out of my wheelhouse! I prayed, as always, for His words to be my words and went through the post numerous times before getting a “Yes” from Him to publish it. I was concerned that people wouldn’t want to read it…that the connection may not be clear…that it wouldn’t make sense. Yet I shut out those questions at the door of mind and continued moving with the power of the Spirit. This morning, I prayed that He would show me that He touched the heart it was intended for. Not two hours later, you wrote your comment…It makes me teary! Our Father loves us both so, so much, dear one! Thank you for sharing this with me and being my answer!
LikeLike
He really is just so so good!
LikeLike