I often get easily distracted when I am driving. I try to pay attention as best I can but sometimes I tend to daydream...especially on longer trips like the one I took tonight to meet up with some BFFs in New Hampshire. I feel that there should be a warning label on the Colbie Caillat cd I have that says:

I was just driving along, singing at the top of my lungs and minding my own business when all of a sudden I was snapped out of my song-trance by a state trooper flagging me down.
Huh. Maybe he liked my singing and wanted to hear more?
Apparently I was going a wee bit fast in my trance-like state. By the time I could hit the brakes, the cop was roughly a mile behind me and all I could see was this tiny speck waving for me to back up. It was reminiscent of my high school driving exam, having to drive backwards on the highway with a state trooper watching. I knew the first sign of swerving would get me a breathalyzer!
The trooper was very nice though. I was kind of proud of myself, I didn't even feel the need to work up any tears! He asked me if I knew why I was pulled over.
"I do declare officer, I haven't the faintest idea!" I said with my best Scarlett O'Hara/Gone With the Wind voice.
"Miss, how many years have you been driving?"
Oh great, so now he wants me to do math?
I just kind of smiled at him while I tried to do subtraction in my head.
"Over 13 years, sir".
"And what is your driving record like? Do you have any tickets?"
Well, that's a loaded question. My driving history flashed before my eyes as I tried to answer him without giving too much away. It all depended on how many states he could see in his report :)
"My driving record should be pretty good, sir. Not really any tickets that I can recall right now".
Things got suddenly very fuzzy, I panicked on the witness stand.
"If its as you say, I'll let you off with a warning. Otherwise, I'm writing you a $200 ticket".
Wow, no pressure or anything.
He went back to his cruiser and was gone for what felt like eternity. He came back to the window with an envelope that said, 'Citation processing center'.
Ooh, this is not looking good.
Then he asked me something I was not expecting at all...
"Miss, do you have any tattoos?"
Excuse me?
"Uh...no, sir".
"And where were you born?"
Suddenly I felt like I really was on the witness stand.
"Miss Rogers, there is a warrant out for the arrest of someone matching your exact description".
Of course there is.
"But she is from Kentucky and since you don't seem to have an accent I'm going to let you go today with just a warning".
Wow, I'm sure glad I didn't keep pressing the Gone with the Wind/ southern belle theme.
"You did have a ticket from Greenfield 4 years ago, by the way."
Ohh, right. That ticket, I didn't know you meant that one, officer. I do declare!
Anyways, you know its been an interesting day when you are mistaken for a wanted criminal.

I will say the randomest things always happen to me (as you probably have noticed) and I'm really glad I didn't get the $200 ticket, but after telling me to slow down the officer told me that someone had died in a fatal accident today right where I was driving. As I drove away I prayed for the family of the victim and thanked God that it wasn't me who had been in an accident. It got me to thinking about how many times we receive 'warnings' along the road of life. Red flags about destructive patterns... bad choices... bad habits that God tries to show us in his Word will only bring death. So often we still want do our own thing because we are so 'distracted' by the things of this world. Sometimes even in a trance-like state we just go through our days as if we are on autopilot, not even realizing the danger we are causing others or ourselves. If you are going through life recklessly and God is trying to give you a warning today, please listen to his voice.
Believe me, it's much better than the alternative!

"And they will know that I am God and that my warnings must be taken seriously." ~Ezekiel 6:10