Fireworks on the Freeway: What God Shows Us on the Way to Where We’re Going

I left West LA just before 9pm with a fully charged car and a half-charged spirit.

The plan was simple: drive to Anaheim, check into the resort, and prepare to serve at the Church Jubilee for the next few days. I had my food packed, my battery full, and my heart… somewhere in between anticipation and low-grade anxiety.

But here’s what no one tells you when you drive an electric car: sometimes you end up praying for traffic.

Yes—praying for traffic.

Because regenerative braking gives your car power every time you slow down. So while the rest of LA is cursing gridlock, I’m ok out here whispering, “Please, God, give me stop-and-go.”

🚘 Part I: When Traffic Becomes a Blessing

It sounds backwards, but last night I was genuinely grateful to sit in traffic. Every brake light was a small mercy. Every slowdown gave me more charge. But more than that, the pauses gave my spirit room to breathe. My mind stopped racing. My body softened into the seat. My emotions settled.

It hit me mid-drive:

The thing I usually avoid—delay, resistance, interruption—was actually restoring me.

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

“Sometimes not getting your way is the best way to be led.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

God wasn’t just preserving my car battery. He was pacing me. Teaching me how to find grace in the crawl.

🎆 Part II: Fireworks From the Freeway

Then, just as I merged onto the 605N, the sky exploded.

Disney fireworks. Right above the freeway.

And listen—I’ve lived in LA long enough to be used to that kind of spectacle. But this wasn’t just spectacle. It was personal. It was perfectly timed. I gasped. Smiled. And out loud, without thinking, I said:

“Thank you, God.”

Fireworks have always symbolized happiness for me. And in that moment, I felt it—not just happiness, but joy. The kind that catches you off guard. The kind that doesn’t ask for permission.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

It was a confirmation.

God was with me. In the drive. In the traffic. In the transition.

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)

“Joy is not made to be a crumb.” – Mary Oliver

For a second, I even thought about pulling over and just watching. Staying longer in the moment. But I kept driving—lighter, steadier, grateful.

🎛️ From Passenger to Participant

This trip feels different.

I’m not just attending Jubilee this time—I’m serving. Behind the scenes. Helping with A/V. Making sure others experience the revival I’m usually on the receiving end of.

And I’ll be honest—there was a part of me that wondered if I had anything to give.

I’ve been tired. Pulled in a lot of directions. Riding the edge of burnout while still trying to show up.

But last night reminded me: God was already preparing the offering. Not just the logistics—but me.

Before I ever step into the conference space, God’s been showing me how to slow down, how to trust the process, how to make room for joy. That’s the real setup.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” (Proverbs 16:3)

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

And honestly? I think the fireworks were just the pre-show.

🌿 Soul Insights

1. Sometimes the traffic is the answer to prayer.

What looks like a delay or inconvenience may actually be the very thing God is using to restore you. We often assume that movement equals progress, but divine pacing doesn’t always follow our calendars or clocks. Slowdowns can become sacred pauses—spaces where God recharges what’s been quietly draining. If we’re willing to sit in the stillness (even if it’s bumper-to-bumper), we may discover provision hiding in what we once called a problem. Maybe the wait isn’t a waste—it’s a whisper.

2. Joy doesn’t need perfect timing—it creates its own.

We don’t have to arrive at our destination to celebrate what’s unfolding. Joy has a way of showing up mid-journey, like a flash of fireworks against a freeway sky. It reminds us that affirmation can happen en route, not just after arrival. Sometimes God drops delight into the detours to remind us we’re already seen. You are allowed to experience joy before the story fully makes sense.

3. You’re allowed to feel unready.

Serving doesn’t demand that you have it all together—it only asks for your willingness. God doesn’t require polished performance, just a posture of surrender. When we show up honestly—mess, nerves, doubts and all—He multiplies what little we offer. You don’t need perfection to be used by God; you just need permission to be real.

4. Beauty shows up in the margins.

It’s not always in the highlight reel or the main stage moments. More often, it’s hidden in the background, in the coffee runs, the early mornings, the awkward pauses. The in-between spaces hold sacred weight—those are the places where God often whispers the loudest. If you only look for Him in the spotlight, you’ll miss the miracles unfolding in the ordinary.

5. Your role may be shifting, but your identity isn’t lost.

Stepping from observer to contributor can feel disorienting—but it’s not diminishment, it’s deepening. Your worth was never tied to what seat you occupied, but to who you belong to. When God transitions you, it’s never to shrink your influence but to stretch your faith. Sometimes the backstage is where the deepest fruit grows.

✨ Final Reflection

Last night’s drive was more than a commute.

It was communion.

God met me in the left lane.

He slowed me down on purpose.

And then—just to be extra—He lit up the sky.

I didn’t need to arrive fully charged.

I just needed to be willing.

To move.

To brake.

To believe that even fireworks from a freeway can be holy…

and maybe even the first spark of revival.

📣 Call to Action

Have you ever had a moment like that—when God met you in motion? I’d love to hear your story. Drop a comment or DM me. Let’s celebrate the signs along the way.

Soul Path Insights