I remember when I was learning how to drive. My dad would sit comfortably in the passenger seat and let me steer the wheel whichever way I wanted, adjust the speed how I saw fit, and let me turn left or right.
Sometimes I'd steer perfectly, other times I'd end up on a curb...or two...but he never grabbed the steering wheel. If he saw something that needed to be corrected, he'd gently correct me. Each time I learned and drove better than the time before. I never wrecked and always got us safely to our destination.
My mom on the other hand- lol- She'd sit straight up in the passenger seat yelling, "Slow down, Erica."..."Speed up, Erica" "You see that car don't you?"... "You see that speed bump right?"..."Turn this way."..."Don't turn that way."...and the ones I hated the most, grabbing the steering wheel and telling me to stop because the green light was ABOUT TO change. Lol
After about 2 or 3 times with my mom, I remember crying and telling my dad I didn't want my mom to take me anymore. Lol I remember one time, she made me pull over, and she drove. LOL
Now, as I look back- both of them taught me a valuable lesson about driving. My dad taught me to loosen up, not to be nervous, and to go with the flow. My mom, on the other hand, taught me to drive very very very carefully and to drive not only for myself but also other drivers.
When I finished quiet time this morning, I thought about that. Initially, I did not know why. I laughed about it, moved on from it, but then God brought me back to it.
Here's the revelation I received...
So many times, that's exactly how we are with God. We pray for God to "take the wheel" and lead us, but then we don't trust the plan God has for our lives so we are how my mom was in the passenger seat- Sitting straight up because we are afraid and nervous, grabbing the steering wheel, & dictating the journey. God tells us to go right, we go left. He tells us to slow down, we speed up. He tells us to keep going and ignore distractions, we stop and address every meaningless thing...
...but God wants us to be how my dad was, sitting comfortably and trusting the driver. Trusting the driver doesn't necessarily mean that we may not hit a curb or two or go full speed over a speed bump (lol), it means that you trust the driver to be with you through the bumps and off curbs and TO GET YOU SAFELY TO YOUR DESTINATION.
Hmmmm...how many of you can relate?
Listen, if you've cried out and have asked Jesus to take the wheel, give Him complete control. Stop trying to dictate the journey. I know it can be scary venturing into the unknown and not knowing what is going to happen next, but He'll be with you. You are going to run into a few bumps and may run on a few curbs, but He's still with you. Trust His way! Trust His plan! ONLY WHEN YOU SURRENDER AND LET HIM TRULY "TAKE THE WHEEL", THAT IS WHEN YOU'LL SAFELY GET TO YOUR DESTINATION.
Thank you, Holy Spirit.
