Jesus Take the Wheel

Our annual ladies retreat is next month and the planning is in high gear. Our theme is "Jesus Take the Wheel: The Process of Changing Drivers". God has been bringing thoughts to my mind in the morning as I'm going to work. Here's what I thought about this morning:

Way back in the last century when I took Driver’s Ed it was an established part of the required High School curriculum. We spent the first part of the course in driving simulators. These were precursors to Wii! We sat in our simulators and ‘drove’ through all sorts of weather conditions, parking lots, and obstacle courses. When we managed to drive through our lessons without too many alarms sounding that you were doing something wrong (like killing a pedestrian or speeding in the parking lot), we were ready for the road. The DE cars looked like any car outwardly, but inside was one subtle difference. The passenger side of the car had been fitted with a brake pedal. Anyone who has tried teaching a hormone-charged teenager-who-knows-everything can appreciate the value of that little addition. It didn’t give the instructor the ability to do anything but STOP you. He didn’t have any control over where you stayed in the lane, how quickly or sharply you turned. He couldn’t help you parallel park, he couldn’t help you get out of someone’s way. But he could stop you if you were headed for a tree or at least slow you down before the inevitable crash.

One of the lessons God reminded me of when he brought all this to my memory was how similar that role is to the way I have “allowed” Jesus to drive my life. I would say that I was handing over control, but the reality was I was in the driver’s seat and just hoping that he would STOP me if I was headed for a tree. I’ve heard people pray “Lord, if what I am intending to do isn’t your will, then please defeat me.” That sounds an awful lot like “I’m going to take this course of action but if it turns out to be a big mess then, Lord, step in and take over. Stop it all before it’s a disaster, but let me go ahead and get us down that road because it’s where I want to drive.”

God is convicting me as I prepare for this year’s retreat to be the PASSENGER in the ride of my life. The trip won’t be what it could have been/should have been if I don’t hand over the wheel. The lesson will be much sweeter if I hand him the keys. I’ve learned the hard way He will take them from my clenched fist.

Jesus, take the wheel.