First Baptist Church of Herndon

The lost art of using turn signals

Linda Soller | Jul 23, 2012

The lost art of using turn signals.

Living here in the DC metro area has its advantages and disadvantages. High on the list of negatives is the traffic. Now I have grown up in the area and there was a time when Herndon was a small country town. Since I have lived through the growth, I have adapted and in some ways I don’t find the traffic as shocking as a new comer. What does drive me crazy is the lost art of using turn signals. I was taught that your turn signals were a way of communicating your intentions to the drivers and pedestrians sharing the roads and adjacent sidewalks. It made total sense to me. Sort of a do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I did not want the car behind me to end up in my trunk, so I made sure to use my turn signal. Today, turn signals seem to have taken a back seat. Drivers of all ages on their cell phones, putting on makeup, and reading the paper have come to feel that unless they grow a third arm, something has to give. Apparently turn signals lost the election. The other day going to work the car in front of me would slow, then speed up, move to the far right of our lane, then to the center, stop short for lights, and come up very close to the car in front of him. There were no turn signals used as we made our way down the roads. I gave him plenty of space, saying to myself he must be texting. I was wrong, it happens frequently. As we sat at a traffic light, he was going straight and I was turning left, I could not help but glance over to confirm my texting theory. Much to my surprise he was eating his breakfast, my guess is oatmeal or something similar, but whatever it was it only left one finger of his left hand on the steering wheel. The right hand held the spoon, naturally. I said a little prayer that he and those driving near him would make it to their destinations safely.

As Christians we send signals out to our fellow travelers all the time. Our signals are the words we say, our actions, and our attitudes. We are only fooling ourselves if we think that the other travelers in the world are not watching to see what we will do. We watch them, don’t we? They watch to see if we are all talk and no action (like the person who forgets to turn off their turn signal), and they watch to see if we act as we say we believe. There are plenty of travelers who will tell you that the Christians they have come in contact with sent mixed or wrong signals all the time. The word hypocrite comes to mind.  As you travel this week down the road that is your life I challenge you to be mindful of the signals you are sending or not sending as the case may be. Is it time you made a turn? Have a great week :o)

Linda