Thank you, to James Coral.

Sometimes on my Tuesday and Wednesday morning commutes, I have the most random thoughts come to mind. I was thinking about how if I was unable to see how God brought me from uncertainty to understanding, how would I know what to look for in the future? The random thought of my day, begins with me remembering my Driver's Ed Instructor James Coral. Always in his full athletic water resistent attire, with an apple eaten to the core. One time on a night where I got to drive, I was turning right at a three way intersection. Little did I notice that when my light turned green, so did the walk signal for pedestrians. James immediately slammed on his extra brake. Everyone in the car experienced the dreaded feeling of the seatbelt tightening up for what's only seconds but feels like 20 minutes. I am sure that he swore or leaned over, his outfit crinkling, saying something like, "CAN'T YOU SEE THEM?!" This was the day I learned to always look both ways. Ok, maybe not really, but at least a reminder.

So here I was, pondering, and driving along the morning commute. Noticing how, I have completely come to take driving for granted. Its something I know. It's something I am reletively good at. Despite my occasional lack of depth perception, or rainstorm that causes a girl in a cross walk to be invisible and then cuss at me. I remembered how I used to fear the thought of freeway driving, let alone merging. How I used to hate with a passion, parallel parking amidst parking cones. (R.IP. Little orange domes.) Yet, now I merge now with the greatest of ease. I look both ways when pulling out into oncomming traffic and three way stops. I let my wife parallel park or walk me thru step by step each time on how to do it. I have grown. I have experienced the greatness of learning how to better do something I had never done before I was 15. Though, when I was younger, I often would get to sit on my dad's lap, and steer through the neighborhood.

If I am unable to recognize how even in the small rediculous things like driving a car; that God has brought me thru that time. How, will I know to see Him present in the harder life lessons I experience today? In the tough goodbye of a dear friend moving to California to rock seminary school. In the complete patience needed in waiting to hear from a bank about an offer placed on a house. In the occasional challenges of marriage. In knowing that, though I wish to not work here, He has a reason beyond me, for having me work here. Thanks to the memory of James Coral, I think I will start paying more attention for each corner that I am turning.

Oh, and I could have called this blog, "I got my permit from the Most High." (I pictured it - as a line from a rap song, sung by a white rapper.)