Friday, January 29, 2010

Grace Abounds

Last Monday evening around 9:00 p.m., after a good and full day of pastoral ministry in Brownwood, I was stopped by an officer of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

I had just finished delivering the greeting and invocation for the 300 or so folks gathered at our church for the annual Brownwood High School Football Banquet, and was making my way home to our ranch in Desdemona.

It had been a good day of numerous meaningful visits, conversations, and prayers with the people in our fellowship. On such days, pastors sometimes slip into a reverie of reflection and thanksgiving about the goodness of our lives together in Christ, the friendship that connects us in Christian community, and the high purpose that is ours in building the Kingdom of God.

Such a trance of gratitude must have made the foot heavier on the accelerator. On Highway 16 north of Comanche, as I approached the Sabanna River, a southbound DPS officer stopped me. He clocked me exceeding the speed limit, flashed his lights, and turned around to ticket me.

My sweet hour of prayer became a frantic plea.

It was pitch dark, and the officer approached my car carefully on the passenger side, asked for my license, insurance, and registration, and sternly inquired as to where I had been and what I had been up to.

Shamelessly pulling the “pastor card,” I stammered something about Brownwood, First Baptist Church, and ministry.

Immediately, his entire demeanor softened. His face brightened. He began talking casually about the fine folks he knew in Brownwood, his own faith, and the spiritual importance of church in his life.

He handed my license back to me and started asking me about mutual friends and acquaintances. Far fewer than the theoretical “six degrees” separate folks in our part of Texas, so we had numerous relationships in common. Finally, he tipped his hat, admonished me to slow down and be careful on the way home. Then a theology: “Reverend, the Lord needs you.”

He extended his hand through the window to me, and introduced himself.

“I’m Officer Grace.”

My roadside conversations with law enforcement officers have not always ended so happily. Nor do I think ministers are entitled to any special consideration when it comes to traffic infractions. My friends have given me endless grief about my absurdly good fortune. One took a little exegetical liberty with Hebrews 4.16: “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of speed.”

But, on a dark night, on a lonely stretch of highway, in the face of my own violation, I encountered Grace. And I made it home.

5 comments:

James Aydelott said...

Desde-MONEY!!

:-)

Dr. Jay Smith said...

Charles Foster Johnson, on that same road about 2 years ago, I met DPS Officer 'Judgment', who ticketed me for 4 miles over the limit while on my way back from De Leon to Brownwood. I tried to pull the professor of theology card and OJ - Officer Judgment - was unimpressed! The moral is this: When swimming upstream against grace, all you will find is judgment!

Anonymous said...

Good fill someone in on and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you seeking your information.

KB said...

Haha Dr. Smith very funny. I actually got a speeding ticket on the way to a job interview two weeks ago which caused me to miss it and any chance at the job I really wanted. Glad you recieved grace!

~Andrew
what is the bible?

Unknown said...

For whatever reason I am just now reading this blog post, Charlie, and am remiss if i don't say how poignantly you have written this and what a loss there is in this world with your book still unfinished and thus unpublished. You have a perspective to the world that needs to be shared.