I was watching an old Oprah episode where a young Hollywood actress had been in a big car accident that injured her entire family, because she had been driving intoxicated. As Oprah interviewed the young starlet, she reminded her that this probably wasn’t the first time she had been driving drunk. She also reminded her that usually the universe gives us warnings, or we might have a little scare….but we continue to repeatedly ignore the warning signs, and the little nudges that are telling us….”this is risky”…. and “you know better.” We ignore it and continue to do that risky habit or behavior.

“An incident is just the tip of the iceberg, a sign of a much  larger problem below the surface.”

-Don Brown

After I finished watching the episode I felt the Lord convict me about my own pesky little habit of using my cell phone while driving. I too have been given the little nudge feelings. I do not want to ignore them. I gave my teenage daughters permission to take my phone away from me when I am driving, and to help hold me accountable. Being on our phones is an ADDICTION. When we start to become hypnotized by them it becomes a problem. I would literally just grab my phone because it’s the impulsive thing to do. At every light, I would check my phone out of a bad habit.

She was a Hollywood star, and she knew that drinking and driving was unsafe for her and her family. She went to jail. But the consequences could have been fatal. I too, am an adult, and I KNOW BETTER. So I am going to DO BETTER! Now, I hand over my phone to my daughters. If they see me try to reach for the phone…instinctively……they stop me in my tracks and say, “MOM….PHONE!” and “MOM PUT THAT AWAY!” Whatever it takes….to make sure that I don’t become distracted by things that can wait…….things that aren’t as important as our safety and our lives.

According to the Texas Tribune, Texas leads the nation in traffic deaths. (2019). Texas DOT says more than 100,000 crashes involved distracted driving in 2017 which killed 444 people and seriously injured 2,889 others.  WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION ON THE ROADS AND HIGHWAYS!!! Whether your habit is putting on makeup while driving, or eating while driving, or texting while driving, drinking and driving, no matter what it is, it needs to be stopped! For your safety, for your family’s safety, and for the safety of the general public.

“Prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent.”

-Author Unknown