29 January | Youth
«Everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.» Proverbs 21:5, NET
What type of driver are you? Calm or impatient? Careful or reckless? Do you often run red lights? Have you ever hit the gas on yellow to avoid getting stuck at traffic lights? Among the ten most committed traffic infractions are running a red light and ignoring the “STOP” sign.
Another, quite common, is speeding. Together, they are responsible for thousands of accidents and deaths every year around the world. These statistics draw attention to a single reality: people do not have the patience to wait.
On August 7, 1997, at 12:31 pm., shortly after noon, an accident took place in Florida. Flight 101 from Fine Air, a cargo transportation company, took off from Miami airport bound for the city of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. The 36-ton-aircraft was only in the air for a few seconds and then plummeted. In flames, it crossed the main avenue and invaded a building on the other side of the street, causing five deaths: four crew members and an individual in a car parked at the scene of the accident. The damage would have been much greater if it were not for one fact: the traffic lights were all red just when the plane made the emergency landing. As there were no moving cars, many lives were saved.
It is in these moments that we see the value of prudence. Not respecting the red light, in that circumstance, would have been fatal. Impatience kills. And “haste makes waste.” Because of this, children do not have time for their parents, and parents don't spend time with their children. There is no time for family or friends, to take care of our health and the wellbeing of the mind. There is never extra time, but, ironically, when tribulation comes, suddenly there is time to resolve what, with much less, could have been avoided.
The Word of God teaches us that there is time for everything (Eccles 3:1). However, it is not possible to manage time wisely while we have the wrong priorities. If there is time and opportunity to work, study, date and go for a walk, there must also be time to play, rest, love and help. Everything in life is a matter of balance. If there is no time for God in your schedule, then you are actually wasting time. It's time for a change, don't you think? Stop and think! Reflect. Breathe. Rewind. Moving on red –you know– can be fatal.