Hand God the Car Keys
“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5
Put me on a plane, a boat, or a train, and I promise one thing: I’ll get motion sick. Travel plans make Dramamine my new best friend. I wasn’t always this way. Perhaps it’s a lovely ailment that comes with age. Whatever the reason, it’s annoying. However, I can sleep off motion sickness far quicker than I can recover from the learning curves of life.
When I transitioned out of a twenty-year ministry role and into a different one, I weathered a year of twists and turns. I traversed unfamiliar landscapes and developed new organizational systems. I struggled to manage the sharp learning curves of life without sliding into the ditch. I felt incompetent and insecure, wondering at times if anything I did made a difference. Change can be tough; especially when it requires a hefty amount of adjustment. Maybe you can relate to the learning curve change brings.
A change in your address and the pull of strange surroundings …
A change in your family dynamics and a quiet house…
A change in your body and unwelcome limitations …
In the middle of that challenging season, God spoke these words into my spirit: “You’re not the driver.” In other words, Angela, I’m in control of this ride – not you. Ouch. At first, I felt chastised and nervous. After all, I’m even more nauseated when I’m not driving…when I’m not in control. Yet, when the roads of life become risky, the safest place is in the passenger’s seat. He reassured my anxious heart with these words:
“I know it’s been a tough year. Let Me lead; let Me drive. I know when to brake and when to accelerate. I know when to pull over and when to stop. You can rest in that and trust Me to handle anything the road of life may bring. I’m not going to let you slide into the ditch. Trust Me. Hand me the car keys.”
David, the shepherd boy, songwriter, warrior and King, navigated learning curves of his own. He even slid off the road a few times, towed back out by God’s mercy. His words in Psalm 25:4-5 teach us to remain dependent on God during seasons of change. “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Just as God promised to be faithful to David, He promises to lead us. He will show us, guide us, and teach us. We can place our hope in Him – all day long. Isn’t it a relief to know we don’t have to figure all this out alone? God longs to show us His ways if we’ll let Him put the coordinates into the GPS. Maybe a curve took you out and you need the grace of God to pull you to safety. No matter what stretch of road you’re navigating, find hope in the same words that steadied my fragile heart: “You’re not the driver.” Tuck these principles into your glove compartment when you travel the road of change:
Slide on into the passenger’s seat and let God drive.
Ask for directions from your Guide.
Slow down and pay close attention to your surroundings.
Balance the curves of fresh growth with the flat road of familiar ground.
Pullover to rest and refill your tank through personal Sabbath.
Go ahead; hand God the car keys to your life. Because when He’s in control, it’s an amazing ride.
Make Life Matter No Matter What
With Love,
Angela
