More from Farlin Vanessa De Los Santos Mejía

What I Learned from the Other Lane 

Hello, I am Farlin Vanessa De Los Santos Mejía, the author of today’s meditation.

Like many of you, I find lessons of faith in the most unexpected places: sometimes in a conversation, sometimes on a walk, and even in traffic.

In my country, it’s common to see drivers constantly changing lanes, looking for that slight advantage to get to their destination. It’s a game of patience and frustration. The most exasperating thing is when you stay in your lane, keeping pace calmly, and see others speeding ahead.

It was precisely that feeling of “wasting time” while others were moving ahead that inspired my meditation. The frustration in traffic reminded me of the despair we feel in life when we see the success or rapid progress of others (our “other lane”) while we remain stuck or slow.

When the team at The Upper Room asked me to write, I knew this experience had to be at the core of the message. The analogy led me directly to Psalm 40:1, where David says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”

For me, putting my hope in the Lord means stopping looking at my neighbor’s lane. It means accepting that God works according to his own timetable, and that my job is not to despair, but to trust in his faithfulness. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds me that God will take us to our destination. My only job is to keep my pace and do my part.

It is my hope that this meditation will remind you, dear reader, that no matter how slow your lane may seem, God’s timing is perfect, and he is by your side.

Attached are a photo of me taken on the road to go along with the theme of my meditation and a photo with my husband, Yerlin, and our two children, Caleb and Noa Camila.