The Perfect Parking Spot

The Perfect Parking Spot

The parking lot at the local gym has been packed these first few weeks of January. No surprise there. All the “fitness resolutioners” circling like it’s Black Friday, squeezing into tight spaces and hunting for that “perfect spot” near the entrance.

We can all relate. Fifty yards farther out, there’s plenty of wide-open parking. Yet most people instinctively go out of their way to save a few steps… even when they’re about to do two miles on a treadmill.

It’s a small irony, but it reveals something about us.  We’re wired to look for the “close spot” — the easier way. Sometimes that instinct even bleeds into our faith. The painless obedience, the convenient way to serve… We might even hesitate over the few extra steps it takes to speak a kind word or send an encouraging text.

Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  

Faith doesn’t begin at the front door.  God often asks us to park a little farther away. To forgive when it hurts, to serve when no one notices, to trust when the outcome is uncertain.  The distant spots are where humility and perseverance are strengthened.

So maybe park a little farther out today.  Walk with purpose. The perfect parking spot isn’t always the closest one — it’s the one that shapes our hearts.


- Ron Reid

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