Episode S3E24(128): Vicki’s Story of Changing Lanes

In today’s podcast, Hal’s wife, Vicki, shares her story about having to “change lanes” in life. Using the metaphor of a freeway, she shares her story about changes God has for her, changing to a different lane, and even getting off the freeway and onto a service road. Changes in life are not easy at times, but God uses them for His purposes. You will enjoy her story.

Transcript

Seth Muse: 0:03

Welcome to the finishing wealth podcast where we encourage seasoned believers to find meaningful ways to impact their world for the kingdom of God. Whether you're 65 and up, are not quite there yet, everyone can begin preparing to finish well. Now, here's your host Randy has with the founder of finishing well, ministries, how habecker

Dr Hal Habecker: 0:25

Welcome to the finish oil podcast. We're glad you're here. In a previous podcast, I told him just a bit of my story and the bike wreck and I'm back. But let me tell you, my wife is back. She's with me, she went through this hardship with me. But she has stories on her own that have nothing to do with me. But we're living this together. And she has a story I want you to hear. It's a really special story about how God leads us in change in transition and everything that happened. So welcome biggie. I'm delighted you're here again. So take off and lead us. Thank you

Vicki Habecker: 1:02

before the accident, so this is like a little flashback, I guess for my part of this podcast. Before this accident, I was having what I called a change of direction. Or I kind of coined the phrase changing lanes. Most of you may know that we live in Dallas, a little suburb north of Dallas called Plano, and highway 75. runs from downtown Dallas, all the way up to I guess, Oklahoma. And they call it central expressway. Well, let me tell you something, there's nothing express about central expressway. It's three lanes each direction. The left lane is for wild, crazy fast drivers. The middle lane is for us more sensible drivers maybe in the right lane is far slower drivers or older adults. And then there's also the exit ramp. Now central expressway was redone a few years ago. And they did something interesting. If you were in the right lane, and traffic was a mess, which it always is, you could get off at the exit ramp and stay on the service road and zip back onto the freeway about a mile later and avoid all the traffic. So instead of sitting in the slow lane, and being patient with traffic, you could zip off and zip back up. Now if we're all honest, and hell year this way, specially driving to church, you change lanes all the time. And I do too. Because if we're in a hurry, we go, oh that lanes moving faster than we are. So we scoot over and a quarter of a mile that line slows down and you're like oh, I should have stayed where I was. I feel that way when I'm at the grocery store. The new line stops and you go well, what what do I do now? But there are times and a hell I think this happened with your bicycle accident. When the lane your end comes to a complete stop. Now, unlike your accident, sometimes it comes to a complete stop and there's no police car lights flashing, no ambulance, no fire truck. It's just a lot of cars going nowhere. I asked myself did Jesus say that we should always be in the express lane. I kinda would like that. I remember Jesus got away. A lot of times, he had to get off the exit ramp with his crazy disciples or the crowd. And he had to go and regroup. And as I get older, I realized that I'm becoming more resistant to change. A little bit of change is good. But when there's a lot of change, I can get a little my grandkids say cray cray, which I think means crazy. I can get a little crazy. I kept chat until a few weeks ago I kept changing lanes with what I was doing. And then I would end up in back in that same clogged lane. And so I asked my son What are you doing? What what what are you thinking? Is what you're doing rewarding? Is it fulfilling? Is it furthering the kingdom? Scripture tells us that God has gifted each of his children with a spiritual gift an area of giftedness. I've always thought there was one but I want to challenge that and he'll help me with this. In college I was about ology in pre med major. I was good science and math and putting stuff together and analyzing. And I always thought that was my one spiritual gift. I think Scripture would call it administration. So how when you started finishing well ministering and I was no longer a pastor's wife. I was no longer leading Bible study. I was no longer practicing physical therapy. I thought, I'm going to use my skills to help out with finishing well, ministries. And that's what I've done the last What is it nine years now?

Dr Hal Habecker: 5:32

Yeah, great job.

Vicki Habecker: 5:33

Thank you. I have balanced the book there to the penny. I've paid the bills, I send receipts to donors. I go to the post office, I go to the bank, I've helped you with anything that finishing well Ministries as needed. And we're doing a pretty good job recently. And this was before your accident. The ministry changed some programs that we were using a different accounting program, a marketing program, a donor strategies. Now remember from my comment earlier about change these three new things, hated it. Think I'm a smart person. I've got some letters after my name. There's not a lot I can't figure out. Except continuing my analogy with the lane. The lane I was functioning in for finishing well, ministry was clogged. My essay was just loud. Noise, couldn't hear anything from God. And doesn't Scripture say that? Most of the time He speaks to us. In a whisper. We can hear a whisper when everything else is screaming at you. What was first Kings nighttime the story of Elijah and Elijah. God didn't speak to him in the when the fire the earthquake. It was in that still small voice. So several weeks ago, I left the finishing well ministry office in tears. And I went down and our sweet Amos our security guard with front door. He calls me Miss hell, because he didn't know my name is Vicki. But he knows how to I'm sobbing as I'm walking out the door and he says Miss Miss Hale, what's going on? And I said I miss. I've got to take the exit ramp. And he I'm sure thought, Okay, this woman's nuts. So I had got home and I had kind of a meltdown. And sweetheart, when you got home that afternoon. I'm sure you remember this all its glory as they were having to come to Jesus meeting. And I said hell, I love you. I love Jesus. I love finishing well, but I quit effective immediately. You were maybe suspicious or suspecting that something like this might be brewing, because you heard my frustration. Now I grew up in a family where you never quit at anything. You stuck it out in any in every situation whether you were being fulfilled or not. You made it you had a commitment and you kept it. Now, I don't know if Jesus lets our families look down from heaven occasionally. But the day I said I quit. I'm sure my sweet Daddy was saying, Jesus, we got to talk this girl. I raised her better than this. Why is she quitting? So since this is a finishing well, podcast, okay. First of all, I don't think each child of God is limited to just one area of giftedness. And if we have different areas, maybe at one season of our life, we pour ourselves into one of those. And at another season. Maybe we'll use a different one. And what are all the seven essentials? What are they say we have to keep growing, connecting, loving, loving. So I knew I didn't want to back to my analogy. I didn't want to take the exit ramp and do nothing. Because I think Scripture says until we take our last earthly breath we have worked to do now for a minute. I thought I'm taking the exit ramp. I'm going to the beach. I'm gonna get some r&r No people no responsibility, no cooking, no cleaning no husband. If you're laughing I wish I could see his face just white sand and turquoise water I am thinking back on it now, since your accident that might not have been a bad idea. But no, I had to say God, what can I do now? What am I gifted in? Now. So the afternoon that I quit, there was a strange piece that came over me. I didn't take the exit ramp, I just put on my blinker, thank goodness, I warned people. And I changed lanes. I covered my commitments, with someone more gifted than I was in those certain new areas. So now we're finishing well, I'm asking God to let my new role in the ministry to help is to be more about relationships, personal engagement, not trying to keep up with all these new, I mean, technology changes why every 30 minutes, I could keep up. I just don't want to. I want to focus more on the relationship aspects of the Bible teaching, the personal involvement that I could do. And I have personally been involved with you for the last seven weeks. So that's over. focusing now on other people. I mentioned the first Kings 19, about trying to hear God's voice. But to hear it, you got to shut out some of the noise in Romans 12. What is it verse two, says that we need to renew our minds. And that's what I've done by changing lanes. I tried to renew my mind. I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School here in Dallas. And this is probably not allowed in public schools anymore. But in our auditorium over this stage was proverbs 423 inscribed over the stage, guard your heart, in your mind with all diligence. And I think that's what I've done. I have tried to guard my mind by changing lines. And you know, that first night, it's on for eight, I laid down, and I slept. Good. I love it. I think we I think we need to keep in mind thinking about all this changing lines and expressways. And where's the final destination? Where are you headed? How fast you want to get there? Do you want to enjoy the ride there? Do you want to fuss during the ride there? It doesn't matter how many lanes you change to drive through. As long as you keep your mind on the destination and the finish line. Whatever God has for us, while we're still breathing. That's the finish line. And I want to pour everything I can into doing that. And it may be in the fast lane may be in the slow lane, it may occasionally make me take an exit ramp and then work my way back on. Does that makes sense? Just rambling.

Dr Hal Habecker: 13:21

Let me take a couple of different tacks on this. First of all our stories are similar. There is an interruption in what we're normally doing. And I think God did it for me. And I think he orchestrated through circumstances for you. It's more important that you understand what he has you here to do and be than it is whatever we were doing, but

Vicki Habecker: 13:47

let me know. Okay, let me throw something in here. You had yours was an accident that you didn't plan on. You didn't foresee. I had felt this frustration building in me until I finally said, I quit. But that makes me there was not one thing you could have done. A better Excellent. Yes. For those of you who can't see, in this podcast, I'm pointing my finger at him. I love it. If there wasn't anything you could do when your feet got stuck in the pedals, and you couldn't get out and you fell in crash. I felt like I was not using skills that God had given me to cope with frustration. That makes sense. I mean, that sounds like a weakness as a believer. God has put this journey in front of you. Why are you not why are you not handling it? Well,

Dr Hal Habecker: 14:50

but this is the idea. We want to control life. We want to do it efficiently and accurately and excellently. And when various frustrations or accidents or illnesses, whether they're slow or fast or abrupt. They come in, they get us off track. And sometimes we're forced to change lanes because life happens faster than we wish it would. Whether it's an accident or a change in circumstances, your kid I mean, this is the value of growing it every season in your life. Your your kids go off to leave college, they start families on their own. There's accidents, there's death. I mean, everything happens for a reason. And God wants us to listen to him. And the other thing, I love your idea of expressway, somebody wrote a little book, I think it was our friend out in Phoenix, Little House on the expressway. Talking about this home, in the midst of massive movement, quick movements, I'm reminded that Jesus always walked everywhere he went, there were no cars in his day, there is something about pacing your life and not feeling like you have to be in a hurry. You know, Dallas was just rated, I think in the news this week that the fourth most jammed city in the United States. And you go in the freeways and you say it. But I mean, that's, that's an outside pressure this, you got to get here fast. And you don't want to get here went to change lanes, I want to get ahead. Well, that's the opposite of what God wants us to think, you know, we're gonna go to California in a few weeks, and our event will be in the middle of a vineyard. And it is done by hand, it is not done by machinery. And you see the pace of how the vine grows, and you can't hurry it up. It goes through the seasons of life, which God controls. And I think those are the lessons wherever we are whatever our age, do we see God orchestrating our lives? And do we respond? So your circumstance was totally different than mine, but we watched how God worked and we yielded to it, we learn from it. And now we're on a new tack in life.

Vicki Habecker: 16:54

And I think going back to the analogy of the expressway, we sometimes focus on what everybody else is doing, and how quickly they are moving. I can be driving and go. Okay, I'm gonna change lanes. That guy in that red pickup truck. He's going faster than I am. So I'm gonna get in his life. Well, why am I watching that low red pickup? Why am I not just having my eyes focused on the destination? I'm getting there safely. And with half a brain and without frustration and anxiety, and in place of that, having contentment, peace, fulfillment, and expectation. I don't know exactly what this next season is going to be. But I'm, I'm on board. And I'm ready for you to be well. Well,

Dr Hal Habecker: 17:51

the Lord's helped me on that one. And he's helped us both to renew our strength. Yeah, I like your verse. Proverbs four, guard your heart with all diligence for out of it. Flow all the issues of life. So if you get frustration in your life, if you're not at peace, let me tell you, your heart is skewed and the waves are out there rolling just like they were in the boat that night. With Jesus, He was fast asleep. And the disciples are going crazy. We're gonna die. No, you're not I'm in charge of life. I can move mountains, I can move oceans, I can heal your bones as you tear them apart or whatever. And I can put your life back together and give you a new sense of ministry and restoration. And I just think it's awesome. Okay, well, thank you. You're welcome. Anything else you want to add? No.

Vicki Habecker: 18:37

On the way home, if traffic's bad, I'm going to change lanes.

Dr Hal Habecker: 18:42

Well, I love I love my wife. When she gets here, here. We'll post a picture. You can see it on the podcast. But God is at work in our lives. God's at work in our ministry. You know, churches are continuing to buy into this. You know, when things I'm amazed that just a personal word for finishing? Well, I'm amazed at how people catch a vision for this. We have peep I had a letter this afternoon from a 72 year old person who says you know, I don't know what's happening in my life as I age. Do you have anything that could help me? I don't know how she found us. But anyways, she writes me this note I don't I have no idea where she I don't know where she lives. But Pender a short note back and said I want to send you something the seven essentials that I think it helps you. It's a Bible study plan. The scriptures are laid out. And we've seen God use this in churches all across America and literally across the ocean. Lots of different countries are because people age everywhere all around the world. So this message, you know is something God has instilled and wants to broadcast. So pray for us, encourage us and send us a note of encouragement as well. Hallett finishing well ministries dot O R G or Randy Randy at finishing well ministries dot O R G and he and I'll be back to do another podcast but great time today. Thank you sweetheart for joining us You're welcome.

Vicki Habecker: 20:08

I love the passage forgetting what lies behind a press. So and that may be

Dr Hal Habecker: 20:19

well in this new venture that comes from Philippians three Paul was in prison, not thinking about his misery in prison but he's thinking about what God has for him when he gets out. So work through the next trial the next accident, the next illness the next season of your life and trust God and press on thanks May God bless you and encourage you

Seth Muse: 20:49

thank you for listening to the finishing well podcast we hope you're encouraged by today's conversation to continue living out your God given purpose. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts or you can find us at finishing well ministries dot O R G slash podcast. And don't forget to follow us on social media at finishing well ministries. We'll see you next time