Life's Not a Rolling Stop!

A rolling stop is not a stop at all! Did you hear about the man who was driving home and was stopped by a county deputy police officer? It was a rural community with little traffic. The officer informed him that he had not come to a complete stop and then gave him a ticket for the violation. The man asked, “Don’t I get a warning?” The officer curtly replied, “Sure, here’s your warning: If you don’t come to a complete stop the next time, I will give you another ticket!”

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Years ago, as a teenage driver, I had the embarrassing experience of being pulled over for a rolling violation. I was heading out to the local A&W Root Beer restaurant with a carload of church friends on a Wednesday night. We had just had a youth Bible study when a county deputy sheriff stopped me.

I am from a small town where traffic on the main street is always light. The way it was configured, the stop sign was located about twenty feet back from the intersection. You were supposed to stop twice, but most drivers rolled past the sign and up to where you could see oncoming traffic. I had seen many adults get by with this infraction, but few teenagers. And on this early evening, not me!

The first words from the deputy were harsh as he stated the obvious, “Son, you realize you just ran a stop sign!” After looking at my license and noting my last name, he scolded me further and said, “Your dad works too hard to pay for a citation! Follow me out to your house!” This is the kind of thing that happens in a small town where nearly every parent tries to parent everyone else’s kids! I should be grateful that I only received a warning!

As you can see, I am still smarting over how I observed so many other drivers who did the very same thing at that intersection! You can also see how I am rationalizing and thinking, “It was just a rolling stop!” Isn’t that an interesting expression, “A rolling stop?” In Texas, we called rolling through an intersection, “a cowboy stop.” I’ve also heard that there is a west coast version of this called “a California roll!”

This coming holiday season has many of us anxious. We want to experience the perfect Thanksgiving gathering and Christmas season for our families who will be coming from near and far to share in the holidays. The tendency is to obsess about the preparations. Many may be like Martha in the biblical story who was “worried and upset about many things!” I can see how some would rather withdraw, check out, just hope it all comes and goes by like “a rolling stop!”

Perhaps we should downsize our expectations and preparations. But I wouldn’t recommend giving up everything and just sitting through the next days and weeks depressed and hoping the days would pass by quickly. There is too much to experience, express, and appreciate at this time of year. While we can express gratitude anytime, there is something special about getting the family together around table or tables for a Thanksgiving Day meal and a time of sharing memories of God’s blessings.

Then there is Advent, that by design, slows us down during the four weeks before Christmas Day. We need to intentionally take it all in and be thankful for God’s inexpressible gift of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is no time to roll through the season when a stop or pause or two would help us to be reminded, to appreciate, and worship our good and gracious God.

James gently warns while encouraging believers with these words, “Don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights of the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving His True Word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.” (James 1:17-18, NLT).

I take daily comfort in the affirmation, “We are the beloved of God!” This is the season to exclaim as the simple chorus reminds us, “Oh, how he loves you and me! He gave His life. What more could He give. Oh, how He loves you! Oh, how He loves me! Oh, how He loves you and me!”

Let’s slow down and pause to enjoy these days that are going by so fast before our eyes!

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com
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