For those of us living in the United States driving boring American cars, this sign probably doesn't mean much. But to those living in or around Germany, or for the driving enthusiast, this sign is unmistakable. It's the official highway sign for the Autobahn (blue in Germany and Bavaria, green in Switzerland just in case you were wondering...). This incredible road is the one that has no speed limit (in many areas) and allows the driver to be an "enthusiast" rather than a "commuter."
I was sitting home supervising 5 kids the other night when I came across Modern Marvel: Autobahn on the History Channel (and since my wife wasn't home I was able to leave it there).
It was amazing to see the history, technology and intrigue surrounding this highway project (11,980 km long in Germany (second only to the highway system in the US) and 1,638 km long in Switzerland). When I was done watching it I wanted to trade my little Honda Civic in on a Porsche 911 so I too could feel what true speed is like. The only person I know that probably comes close to this in driving experience is
Jason - a friend of mine that drives a nice car and races on the side.
The other thing I noticed while watching this documentary was the sign to the left. Again, I had no idea what it stood for - though Jason might...
This sign is the one you see when leaving densely populated areas. You see in the city, they have had to impose moderate speed limits to keep some level of safety. But as you leave these areas, this is the sign you're greeted with. It stands for the following:
Limits No Longer Apply. Or in other terms: Put the pedal to the metal, give it some gas, turn the horses loose, etc.
And as I watched, I couldn't help but think of the practical application for the Christian. Before Christ we are the typical American driver, stuck in traffic, limited by speed signs in life and simply commuting from one useless pursuit to the next. But when we find Christ, everything changes. We become the enthusiast - getting so much more out of the drive of life. We experience and appreciate so much more. And as we venture into this new life we pass a similar sign that says,
Limits No Longer Apply.
Now I don't mean this literally. For as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility. A true Christ-follower will actually apply principals of self control more stringently so as not to offend others and give their Creator a bad name. But think of it in terms of consistency, faith, hope, love, integrity purpose and meaning.
Limits no longer apply in these areas. Our lives expand into infinite possibilities the moment we come in contact with the Almighty.
This might not seem like much, but to me it was another Real-Life Illustration. I'm so glad that as a Christian I get to drive in Germany...
I snapped a quick picture of Tyler at Abby's birthday party to show that he has already found a love for Starbucks Coffee. Of course we won't talk about the present with princess wrapping paper that he's also fascinated with. Back to the coffee - Do they sell bright red Starbucks Sippy Cups with the classic green and white logo? And would they refill it at the drive thru?
It was so funny to watch them start walking through the yard, the snow was almost up to Allison's knees. They tried to get on the swing set, they dug for awhile trying to find the sand box, they made snow angels, and just spent time diving into the snow head first. It was lots of fun watching them play, they had constant smiles on their faces. The time it took to get them dressed and undressed probably exceeded the time actually spent outside, they got cold pretty quickly, but it was worth it. They had a ton of fun and that makes it all worth while.
