What I like about these Jersey signs is that right below the big numbers is some fine print. CONDITIONS PERMITTING. As I was driving along I couldn't help but reflect on those two words.
Although the intent is to go 55 miles an hour on this road, conditions don't always allow for that. The same goes for my life. So I'm asking myself if I know when the CONDITIONS are telling me I need to slow down. Being a mom to a 3 and 5 year old is definitely one of those conditions. As I'm writing this blog, the conditions have already caused me to stop twice. But stopping to tie my daughter's necklace and helping my husband find a nailcutter are important to me. I don't want to run over my family because I am so focused on a goal: POST NEW BLOG. By the same token, I don't want to run over any construction workers on the road!
I have to recount to you something I read in one of the books I'm currently reading. The book is called Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God, by Mark Batterson.
Two psychologists from Princeton University did an experiment that was inspired by the Bible story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, a traveler is mugged and left for dead on the side of the road. Several people walk past him, including a priest, but don't offer any help. Then came the Samaritan, who scooped the man up and took him to a safe place.
The setting for this experiment was a campus full of seminary students. The seminarians picked for the experiment were first interviewed and asked why they wanted to go into ministry. Most said they wanted to "help people."
Then, they were told to prepare a short sermon they would have to preach in a nearby building. Half of them were told to prepare a sermon on the Good Samaritan, and the other half on other topics. Then they were sent to give their sermons. Along the way, an actor was strategically placed in an alley, portraying the traveler from the Bible story. He was hurt, and groaning loud enough for passersby to hear.
The researchers figured that those doing a sermon on the Good Samaritan would be more likely to stop than those that were preaching on other topics. That wasn't the case. The factor that was most prevalent was the final twist in the experiment. Some of the seminarians were told, "You're late, you'd better hurry." The others were told, "You're early, but why don't you start heading over there."
The results: Only 10% of those who were in a hurry stopped to help, versus 63% of those who were not in a hurry! It didn't matter what their sermon topic was. It only mattered if they thought the CONDITIONS were PERMITTING them to stop and help.
What an eye-opener!
"Hurry kills everything from compassion to creativity."- Mark Batterson
Here's a link to that book: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Goose-Chase-Adventure-Pursuing/dp/1590527194/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288192573&sr=8-1
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