Dave's Deep Thoughts

 

 

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

 

Sometimes you hit a bump in the road.

Not so much for me.

I have an Old Pete on the pavement.

I live in a land of slow moving vehicles.

Tractors, Amish buggies, farm equipment, bikes,

are all frequent vehicles to the byways that I travel.

Where I live, there are many rolling hills.

Most of the roads have bends .......

curves where it is difficult to see what is around the corner.

That is where I usually encounter old Pete.

That's not his real name,

just my name for him.

Old Pete is this mysterious figure who lives somewhere close to me.

I don't know much about him.

All I know is that he loves to drive his lawn mower and wagon

on the roads that I frequent,

and that he always has a smile on his face.

I'm not sure why he is on the local roads with his lawn mower and wagon.

I've never seen him actually mowing a yard,

so I doubt that he has a lawn care business.

But I have often seem him pulled off the road

shooting the breeze with local farmers.

Carrying on conversations that ignore the clock.

He is his own welcome wagon.

He is his own parade.

He is everything that I am not.

He doesn't seem to have a care in the world.

He is forging through life at 10 mph

and loving every minute of it.

Now I have been known to live a fast paced life,

which is reflected in many ways,

including a heavy foot on the accelerator pedal.

But in my increasing years,

I have actually begun to slow down.

A modest amount of wisdom

and a dose of traffic citations will do that.

Old Pete doesn't hurt either.

I usually come upon Old Pete when I am pressed for time.

(I am still learning about the slow down thing)

He has a slow moving vehicle sign on the back of his wagon,

but it is the orange flag on top of an eight foot pole

that first warns me that I am about to have an Old Pete encounter.

His mower has seen better days,

It looks to be vintage 70's.

And on a warm day when I have my window rolled down,

I can hear the wheel of his wagon squeaking.

It sounds like it is about to fall off,

but never does.

Pete, himself, looks to be about 110,

and I am sure there are parts of him that are about to fall off.

Whenever I come up behind Old Pete,

my first reaction is impatience.

(Did I mention that I am still learning about the slow down thing?)

My next reaction

is usually one of amazement

as Old Pete tries to wave me on past him

just as we are engaging a sightless curve in the road.

Perhaps this older-than dirt man has x-ray vision.

He always seems to know if there is a vehicle approaching.

Or maybe he is engaging me in a trust building experience.

But I always wait until I reach a straight portion of the road

before passing Old Pete.

As I pass,

he always gives me a big wave.

I wave back as I once again accelerate my life.

Old Pete used to annoy me.

But now he teaches me.

I am sure that many others consider him a nuisance.

I once did.

But now I see him as a blessing.

Pete is my reminder

that the faster I live my life,

the more I miss.

That there is value in traveling through this world at 10mph.

I doubt that he ever misses the the chirping of a bird or the beauty of a nearby flower.

I do.

I doubt that he ever misses a chance to have an extended conversation with a friend along the road.

I do.

I doubt that he ever wonders where the time went.

I do.

I doubt that he ever fears what is around that sightless corner.

I do.

I doubt that I will ever become just like Pete.

I prefer to keep my lawn mowing equipment on the lawn.

But I hope to continue to learn what it means to slow down.....

To receive life at the tempo it establishes.

To stop roadside to engage my fellows travelers.

To smile because I have taken time to observe beauty.

To be.

The next time you complain that there isn't enough time,

or wonder where all the years have gone, stop.

Stop, and get out of your fast lane

and get on your 10mph lawn mower.

Who knows,

you just might find enough time

to have time.

So, teach us to number our days

that we may present to Thee

a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

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