Rush Hour Dominos
Last night as I was driving home, the traffic was crawling as cars were lined up waiting to get through a light. To my right I saw a car waiting to turn right and join the fun. I could pass by and let the next guy let him out. It was late and the family was waiting on me to eat dinner so I was in a hurry. But then I thought, what difference is one more car in front of me going to make anyway? Heck, it’s the Christmas season and I’m sure there was already enough frustration on the road. So I let him out in front of me.
As we were poking along, I noticed the glow of the cell phone screen shining through the rear window of that car in front of me. I could see the flashing pattern of the glow being held out over the dashboard as the driver dialed a number and then brought the phone up to his ear. Maybe he was checking voicemail or maybe he was calling all his friends as I could see the light disappearing and reappearing while the minutes went by. Boredom set in and I focused my attention on something else.
Then all of a sudden my attention was brought back to the car in front of me as it and the car in front of it pulled off to the side of the road to inspect the damage. The guy on the phone rear ended the car in front of him — I assume because he wasn’t paying attention. As I passed by the thought occurred to me that if I had not let him out then he would have been behind me and I would be on the side of the road calling the police now. Or would the accident have ever occurred at all? Was I a domino that just avoided getting knocked over? Or was I somehow one critical domino of several involved that made the whole event possible?
Just think, my one seemingly insignificant decision to let a car in front of me affected the life of the guy that got hit. Now hold that thought, more to come.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
Hey that’s such a coincidence. Monday night I was called by a friend on his cell that said some nice guy had just let him cut in front of him. I wanted to keep talking to him, but he said he was too wigged-out by the guy driving behind him that was staring through his window at his cell phone, that he couldnt concentrate on his driving.
December 19th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
just kidding there.
I’m curious to hear your continued train of thought on the domino effect of seemingly insignificant choices/events.
December 22nd, 2006 at 10:18 pm
Ah, the butterfly effect.
Now I get it.
Hey…. it was a ‘God thing’, right?
February 1st, 2007 at 4:22 pm
I can testify to this!!
I was driving down the interstate late night trying to get home … much like you. I was driving through a construction zone when a truck (regular pickup) cut me off only inches away from running me off the road … in a construction zone, going 80 mph. Next, a Nissan 350Z zoomed past me going the same speed (or more) as the pickup. Normally, I would speed up and drive behind these guys but I kept my distance. And sure enough, the truck went to cut off the 350Z and both cars ended up in a horrible wreck. I was driving right behind the 350Z but I was able to stop in time. While the vehicles were bouncing off the bridge walls (Yes, we were on a the bridge of the largest river in Nebraska. If one of the vehicles would’ve fell off the bridge, it would’ve been a long fall..) I could’ve sworn that one of the vehicle would’ve rolled and someone would be killed but there was only one minor injury. I ended up standing in the freezing cold with my dog for about an hour but I was thankful that I listened to the little voice in my head and slowed down.
In short, I definitely know it was a ‘GOD THING’!!
February 1st, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Ah but my story doesn’t involve an external voice — implied prompting of the Holy spirit.
Thx for the “prompting” to continue this thought.
My question is this:
Was God using that accident? If you say “yes” or “maybe”, then you are acknowledging God controlled my “free-will” to accomplish His purposes. (”Oh no! I’m a robot!” — something I accept from a meta-physical point of view.)
Then you have to ask, “What decision is insignificant?” You walk into an ice cream shop and are faced with chocolate or vanilla? Well the boss made a series of decisions who to have on staff that day. The employee made a series of decisions, one of which involved doing something that accidentally knocked rat poison into the chocolate.
All of a sudden your decision is not so small.
February 1st, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I remember asking the driver of the truck if he was okay and he said, “Thank GOD! I just thank the LORD I’m here!” So, perhaps the LORD used it to save that one man.
Was God using that accident? Yes. But He did not control my “free-will”. I made the conscious decision to slow down. I think that we get little reminders here and there to steer us in the right direction.
I don’t think any decision that you make is small … that’s why it takes me forever to make a decision :p
February 1st, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Disclaimer: I’m not saying we don’t choose to do what we want to do from our point of view.
So are you saying that the execution of God’s purpose was contingent on your decision? Was God fortunate that you decided to slow down? Even to leave where ever you were and go home when you did? Even that your parents decided to buy a house in a location that caused you to be on this highway at this particular point in history?
February 1st, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Let me ask it another way:
Why should the man thank the LORD if it was ultimately your decision that determined his fate? Shouldn’t he be thanking you for choosing the way you did?
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:10 am
AHH!! All these questions … you sound like me (hehe)
“So are you saying that the execution of God’s purpose was contingent on your decision?”
Yes.
“Was God fortunate that you decided to slow down?”
I was fortunate actually listen and slow down. I was tempted to speed and follow but he provided a window
“Even to leave where ever you were and go home when you did?”
Actually, a series of unplanned events did happen before I left. I ended up leaving later than I originally planned.
“Even that your parents decided to buy a house in a location that caused you to be on this highway at this particular point in history?”
Hey … He’s the man
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 am
Proverbs 16:9 - In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
I bet those “unplanned events” involved a series of decisions on someone’s part.
So you agree that it is possible for God to try and fail? If you decided to speed and follow, you would have foiled God’s purpose. (God says, “Drats! Foiled by Bettina again! Too bad that guy died when I tried to get Bettina to slow down.”)
You used the phrase “provided a window” and then referenced the calling of Jeremiah. That account doesn’t mention anything about God giving Jeremiah a “window of opportunity” to be a prophet. Or was Jeremiah (And God. And Israel. And us.) fortunate that he actually listened to God’s suggestion?
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 am
“So you agree that it is possible for God to try and fail?”
Not at all. He knows what you are going to do before you even do it (hence, my reference to Jeremiah 1:5)
When I said that GOD provided a window, it was in reference to my personal temptation to speed with the other cars. Not in reference to Jeremiah … but perhaps he had is own temptations too.
I’m sure the ‘unplanned events’ were due to someone
else’s decision as well. And the person before that
and the person before that … etc.
HE is the GOD who created the universe … nothing is beyond his control.
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:12 am
Everything, but your “free-will”, right?
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:24 am
I’m not going to say GOD is control of my free-will or not. You cannot summarize GOD’s workings into simple human words or logic.
I believe everything happens for a reason .. without us knowing the reason. This is my way of thinking: I don’t know all the parts, mechanics and technology that makes my car work. I’m just glad when it starts in the morning.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:41 am
You like Kelly book?
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