Slow down and you won't get in trouble.

My husband and his brother standing by speed racer (c. 1998)

I've heard my mother-in-law use this tried and true phrase countless times over the seventeen years I've known her. She used it quite often when we were young teenagers, getting ready to haul off here or there in my husband's red Porsche 944. Can you imagine the horror of watching your child - your precious cargo - take off in a Guards Red rocket? Ticket bait. An accident waiting to happen. Insurance premium insanity. Thankfully, my husband listened to his mother's advice and always got us from point A to point B safely.

I was thinking about this just yesterday as I was speeding to our kids' swim lessons and approaching a big hill. It recently snowed and I had no idea what was on the other side of the hill, so I slowed down and approached with caution.

I thought about this again when I was making bread yesterday; I was in such a hurry to whip up a loaf of bread and get it on the dinner table, that I didn't notice the yeast expired FOUR YEARS AGO. We had a beautiful golden-brown dough brick on the table at dinner.

I thought about it again when I was hurrying to set the coffee maker. I was moving quickly because I had use the bathroom (for the 47th time) and get upstairs to watch our favorite show (the only one we watch routinely, which has recently moved to a very inconvenient weeknight time slot). I was in such a hurry that I dumped a scoop of coffee grounds in the water reservoir (filled with water, btw) instead of the coffee filter. You have no idea what kind of a mess that makes. I ended up with wet coffee grounds all over myself, the sink, the counters, the cabinets, the floor. Sigh. If I wasn't in such a hurry, I wouldn't have had that mess to deal with. That mess caused me to miss our show AND almost pee my pants.

It's not only the little things though. It's not just driving, cooking or cleaning. More and more, we see people making crazy irrational permanent life decisions to fix temporary life problems. Slow down, dear friends. Your climb might be hard, but you don't know what's on the other side of the hill. Proceed with utmost caution. Think your decisions through. Take the time. Put in the effort. Seek counsel. Pray hard. Go the extra mile. Buckle your seat belts and read the directions. Stop fixing temporary problems with permanent solutions. And? Don't lose hope.

"Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5)

Believe me when I say, I am guilty of making a million-and-one quick irrational decisions and need this advice as much as anyone, but I thought I'd share in case you're in need of encouragement today.