apprehend – catch, arrest, detain, capture, stop, take in for questioning
suspect – accused, defendant, offender, culprit, perpetrator, wrongdoer, criminal 

En route to work this morning, I got pulled over by the police (cue “Bad Boys” theme music from “Cops”).  Why?  Because of my own impatience and subsequently feeble attempt to justify it in my own mind.  Seeing those bright flashing lights behind me in the dark was sobering – as if being out early in the freezing cold during Daylight Saving Time wasn’t bad enough…

A tightly-choreographed morning schedule that includes me driving across town to jump on a train (that runs at 10-minute intervals) to get to work is contingent on what time my children’s bus arrives – this impacts the number of lights that stop me at intersections, which railroad crossing arms catch me, and what traffic bottlenecks I encounter. So all of these variables inevitably led to my momentary lapse in judgment to run through the almost-lowered railroad crossing arms near my house – after all, it was on the front-end of my morning journey, right?  Wrong…terribly wrong.

The light at the intersection was green, I heard the train’s warning whistle afar off, and I saw the railroad crossing arms flashing as they began to lower.  I was in the left turning lane and would’ve gotten stuck waiting for the train, so I darted into the right lane, under the crossing arms and over the railroad tracks, and waited for the folks to turn left before I did, too – after all, that light was still green though the crossing arms had come down behind me.  So I’m heading smoothly on my regular morning drive when I see those blue flashing lights.  Uh oh…that sinking feeling hit the pit of my stomach when I realized “The Man” was indeed signaling ME.  SERIOUS uh oh.  I hadn’t seen a police car at all; then again, in my haste, I honestly hadn’t looked for one.  But ignorance of the law is no excuse…

I pulled over, reached into the glove compartment for my registration, and took my warm hat off my head so wouldn’t look any more “suspicious” than my illegal behavior had already made me.  The officer asked, “Good morning; do you know why I pulled you over?”  I humbly asked, “Why did you pull me over, sir?” He asked, “Did you realize that you sped through the crossing arms, then waited from the right lane to turn left in the middle of the intersection? I was the first one at the railroad crossing, and you passed me!  What’s the big rush this morning?”  I replied, “Yes sir, I did go ahead of the train to get that green light; my children’s bus was late yesterday, and I’m trying to be on time for work today.”  He said with a smile, “It’s better for the boss-man to be upset because you’re late than for you to drive like that.”  I agreed and said, “Or not to arrive at all.” (I’ve been painfully aware of human mortality over the past month, which should have quelled this behavior to begin with).

The officer continued, “I don’t write tickets, but I do lecture a whole lot.”  He looked at the two empty booster seats in my backseat and inquired, “I hope you don’t drive like that with your babies in here, ma’am.”  And I said, “No sir, I do not.”  He reminded me, “Please slow down ma’am and drive more carefully; have a good morning.”  As I reached out the window to shake his hand, I replied, “Thank you, sir.  I appreciate it – you are right, I can repent, and I will be telling my husband – I was wrong. I apologize, and I will not do that again.”  And I won’t – because I know better.

While Charlotte may be the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, that gives me no license to drive recklessly, break the law, or endanger lives (others’ or my own).  It was the grace of God that I didn’t get a ticket this morning (which I was fully preparing myself to have to explain to my hubby AND to pay for – yikes!), but I will neither exploit nor take advantage of that grace.  Since this morning’s incident, I’m proactively searching for the speed limit signs so I can obey them, and I even stopped at a yellow light just on general principle.  Because there’s really nothing that important worth rushing for and disobeying the law that’s put there for my own protection.

Consider your own attitude towards your natural and spiritual authority, and your current level of obedience.  Are there flashing blue lights waiting to apprehend YOU in a particular area of your life?  I urge you to yield to the Holy Spirit and avoid an accident – whether in the natural or in the spirit realm.  You must admit that I make a pretty compelling argument.  Selah.

“14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

(Romans 6:14-16)

 © Copyright 2013 by Kayren J. Cathcart