The Odometer

I told myself not to miss it.
I made a mental note to take notice.
There would be time.
I just had to remember to look down.

The car I drive now was bought after I was side swiped on a country road.
The driver hit me and drove off.
My mini van was drive-able but was dented all along the driver’s side.
I was so thankful that none of my grandchildren were with me that day.

Since our children are all grown, something smaller would suffice.
However, I love the versatility of my mini van.
When I go to an antique shop, I have room to carry home larger things.
Before my husband bought his truck, he took my van when he needed cargo space.

We bought the new van right before the pandemic.
No one went anywhere for a year.
I was only putting local miles on my car.
The mileage I usually put on my car each year was not even a possibility.

I rarely look down at my odometer.
So many times before, as I have neared a significant mile change, I missed it.
I missed it by one or two miles.
This time was no exception.

Just last week, my odometer was nearing 30,000 miles.
I was so excited that I might actually see it change from 29,999 to 30,000.
I saw that I had fifteen miles to go before it changed.
Soon, I thought as I did my local errands.

I drove around doing the few things I needed to do.
I was listening to a podcast.
I was enjoying the fall colors peeking out from the leaves.
It was then I remembered to look down: 30,004.

I was four miles over the mileage I wanted to see.
I was four miles over the change I was hoping to notice.
It was not as if I could drive in reverse to get those miles back.
They were gone; I would have to wait 9,996 miles to see the next change.

It’s a silly thing.
It was just something I wanted to witness.
There is some satisfaction in watching all those zeroes pop up.
Realistically, I know that as soon as they appear, they are gone.

As I think about this, I smile at the little things that intrigue me.
There must be others who like to see the odometer change.
Perhaps.
Maybe numbers changing on a odometer are just not that important.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:13-16)

We think we have all the time in the world.
We think that all of our best laid plans will come to fruition.
Only God knows the length of our life.
Only God knows what we will accomplish on any given day for Him.

We are so very fragile.
A mist that appears in the morning and vanishes when the sun rises.
We are like that mist.
We are like the odometer that changed in an instant, only to change again.

If it is the Lord’s will, is an important thing to say and believe.
We can make our plans but let’s make them in pencil.
We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or the next month, or the next year.
God is sovereign over all.

My odometer now says, 30,047.
I will not think about it until the next significant change.
I may miss it but, prayerfully, I will not miss the importance of the lesson.
If it is the Lord’s will…