In the midst of the many joys of this week there have also been a few bad moments. Perhaps you know where this is going already after seeing the image above. All it takes is flashing red and blue lights in the rear-view mirror to overwhelm all of the good moments in a day.

It was Tuesday afternoon and I was leaving Rangiora. I left the township itself and was driving through an area where there were very few houses and many farm paddocks. I wasn’t in a hurry and guessing that this was not open road where the speed limit would have been 100km I had set the cruise control to 70 km per hour.

When I saw the lights behind me I pulled over to let him pass so he could go and catch the criminal he was chasing. But he didn’t pass and instead pulled up behind me and walked up to my open window. I knew that I hadn’t been drinking, and had the speed limit been 70km/h I wouldn’t have been speeding, but the limit was 50km/h and I was travelling almost 20km/h over the speed limit.

I travel just over 1000km every week so I suppose I am more likely than most to pick up the odd speeding ticket. It is tough to be in the wrong (as I am all too often), and even more difficult when I am trying to do the right thing (ie God’s work at the right speed!). I was surprised at how quickly I slipped into denial, even though all the evidence was against me.

I know that I have no choice but to pay the price for this offence, and as soon as I decided to do this, admitting my mistake and paying the price, I was free to get on with life and learn from my experience.

I suppose that’s a good reminder which applies to all aspects of life. As long as I deny my wrong I remain a prisioner of my own stubborness, unable to live fully the new moments offered by another day.