There but for the grace of God go I

As I sit in the atrium near the community college library and stare out the window, the changing seasons couldn't be more obvious.

An overnight snowstorm laid down a thin layer of snow and ice over every surface -- grassy areas turned from tan to white, and the pavement had the glossy sheen of being ice-covered. Walking across the parking lot this morning carrying a work bag, laptop and large cup of coffee, I muttered a prayer over and over until I got inside: "Please, Lord, don't let me slip and fall."

Yet now, almost two hours after I arrived, the sidewalk outside the window is dry except for the small puddles where the melted snow is dripping off the roof above. Patches of brown, mixed with a few dark green blades of grass coming out of hibernation, are starting to show through the snow. The birds are foraging for food, and the squirrels have come out to play by gripping the textured exterior walls and seeing how high they can climb before fear overcomes them and they slowly work their way back down to the ground.

A pretty peaceful scene now, but on the way here, Conner and I saw the aftermath of three vehicle crashes along Interstate 80, including a pickup truck resting on its roof after flipping upside down. Leave it to an 11-year-old to ask the obvious question: "How the heck did that happen?"

My quick response: "He was probably driving way too fast for the road conditions and lost control."

Yet another possible response comes to mind now as I reflect on what we saw: "There but for the grace of God go I." I wasn't in that truck when it flipped. How do I know what happened? How quickly I look at a situation, size it up and assume I know what happened or who was at fault!

Because how many times have I acted recklessly in my life? How easily could I have been the one whose vehicle was upside down in that interstate median? I've certainly ended up in the ditch a time or two as the car I was driving spun out of control on an icy road, and speed wasn't not a factor in those situations!

What about you? Is any part of your life out of control? Any reckless actions you need to rein in a bit?

One big advantage of daily spiritual reflection is that it forces us to stop everything, think about our lives -- if even for a short time -- and decide whether things are going the way we want them to go. Do I need to make some changes? Of course. I already have by working hard six days a week to try to give myself a break on Day 7. But there are other things I need to do differently too.

Today was just another reminder along life's journey that I need to be careful in my routine actions -- whether it's driving on an icy road or walking across a slippery parking lot -- and keep muttering those prayers to God.