Traffic light: Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights are signaling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control traffic.
The car ahead had not moved through the traffic light quickly enough to suit the driver. The light turned orange, then red, forcing him to stop rather than move on through the intersection. His impatience was apparent when an expletive escaped under his breath.
I was in the passenger seat and smiled, thinking--Humankind really doesn’t know. You’ll move forward when you are supposed to.
One of the first lessons I learned at God’s hand was of His control of every detail of my life. He used traffic lights to teach me.
Traffic lights are one of those things we take for granted and never give much thought to until there is a malfunction, and they aren’t working. As with so many things, then we notice their value and purpose. They fall in the same category as a light switch, water faucet, or automobile brakes. They are mundane, ordinary, lowly implements that are purely mechanical.
While we think of them as modern traffic control, they came into existence long before automobiles were invented. The idea began in the 1800’s. They made their debut on December 10, 1868 when the first gas-lit traffic lights were installed in London outside the Houses of Parliament. They were implemented to control the traffic of horse carriages and to allow pedestrians to safely cross the streets.
The original ones were manually controlled by a police officer during the day using semaphore arms. (As a point of reference, the up-down barrier that drops down at a railroad crossing to block traffic is a type of semaphore arm.) At night, gas-lit red and green lights were used. The red signaled carriages to stop, and the green meant to proceed. To this day, the colors and what they stand for have not changed.
By 1914, the first electric traffic light was installed in Cleveland, Ohio. They were still manually controlled, but by 1920 they transitioned to being automatic.
In the 1960’s, computers entered the scene, and traffic lights started to become computerized. Over time, the traffic of a city could be predicted and controlled. And they are. We now live in an age where the lights operate on timers or detectors that detect vehicles stacking up at an intersection. The goal is to facilitate traffic flowing easily and smoothly, especially during rush hour for those commuting in the morning and evening.
While their design varies from one country to another, traffic lights are used, understood, and accepted in most places in the world. We have all learned what green, yellow, and red represent.
How did God use the lowly traffic light to teach me His principle of love, care, and control? Many years ago, I pulled up to a red light and stopped. God very quietly pointed out to me He was the one who controlled my comings and goings—not any mechanical light. I waited, taking note I would move forward at the precise moment He intended.
Since then, whenever I come to a traffic light—whether it is red, green, or yellow--I acknowledge His precise Hand on the direction, speed, and tempo of my life. He knows where He wants me to be, and when He wants me to be there. My destiny is altered and changed at traffic lights—“Stop. Stay for a while longer. Now go.”
Consider this truth the next time you find yourself impatiently waiting for a red light to change because you have important things to do—and so little time in which to do it. The Great Choreographer oversees the timing of all things. Not a moment too soon. Not a moment too late.