The staff meeting was virtual (and optional), so I decided to listen in my car rather than rush to work earlier. When I plugged the cord into my phone, connecting it to my Apple CarPlay, a message popped on the screen, assuring me that the app would automatically turn off my camera and microphone. Perfect. No one needed to watch me drive, put on my lipstick or check my teeth at the stoplight.
The drive wasn’t long, but it took close to fifteen minutes with the morning traffic. Usually, I’d head-bob and tap the wheel to the beat of my streaming music, so it was odd to listen to the principal talk and share the latest school news instead.
As I waited at the intersection next to my school, watching families cross the street for their early arrival, a voice interrupted the meeting to say, “Valda, you’re unmuted!”
WHAT?
I picked up my phone and jabbed at the LEAVE CALL button. Looking for the mute option would take longer.
I gulped as I reviewed the fuzzy memory of my drive. Had I said anything aloud? Did I speak to the driver who wove recklessly from lane to lane like he had somewhere more important to be than everyone else? Did I make comments about the meeting content? Talking to myself is a common occurrence on these morning trips to work.
I was alone in my vehicle. I had no idea if I had spoken. No one was supposed to be listening!
It was a professional development day, so the staff met in the atrium before beginning our learning sessions. Great—this wouldn’t be embarrassing at all! Right away, I needed to explain what happened to our new principal so she didn’t think of me as a dumb blonde (we could delay that observation!). Who would have thought technology would fail me in such a big way? She laughed nonjudgmentally, so I couldn’t have disrupted her meeting too much.
The colleague who alerted me to my muting problem assured me that I had not said a word during my drive. The loudest sound they heard was my signal light clicking for the couple of turns I had to make. Phew! When I think of all the sounds I could have made, oh boy.
Are we ever truly alone in our car, though? Are we alone anywhere?
In Psalm 139:7-12, the writer says:
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
Who is the psalmist talking about? If it is a human, that could be smothering. I’m reminded of the lyrics in the song by The Police, “Every move you make…every breath you take…I’ll be watching you.” I find this slightly disturbing, don’t you? No, the ever-present being in this reference is God, the ultimate source of love, strength, and life.
Since God knows my thoughts (yes, He knows us that intimately), nothing I say aloud in the car will surprise Him. But when I am hyperaware of His presence there with me (in the car, in my home, at work, in a box, with a fox…), I may be less inclined to drop unladylike words or engage in less-than-stellar behaviours, thinking that because I’m alone, no one will hear or see.
According to the Bible passage above, this is an erroneous belief. I am never alone. The one audience member is none other than God Himself, my Creator. The motivation for my behavioural modification is not fear of punishment or embarrassment of my failure to be perfect. I live morally out of respect for a holy God.
The psalmist was not complaining that he never had a quiet moment. He wasn’t actually trying to hide from God. Adam and Eve tried that and failed miserably (note that they did have ample reasons to hide their faces!). Notice the positives that the writer suggests come with God’s presence: “Your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.”
Solitude is not always a good thing, especially when you are going through challenging circumstances. Knowing that our constant companion is Someone who loves us and provides guidance and strength is the key to a fulfilling life. We don’t have to do this alone. “Every move you make…every breath you take…I’ll be watching you” can be comforting words when applied to God’s presence.
Do you live like you know Someone is listening or watching?
Valda Goudie is a teacher and author of the Tickle Me with a Crowbar! series (available on Amazon and Kobo.com). If you enjoy jokes and riddles, follow her on Instagram @valdagoudie to enjoy her TUESDAY TICKLE and FRIDAY FUNNY posts.
