Skip to main content

Faith From the Passenger's Side



A few days ago, there was a dense fog that laid like a blanket covering the grounds and filling the air. As I drove my children to school all I could make out were the yellow and white lines on the pavement and the taillights in front of me. Traffic slowed as most people used common sense and caution but we all continued to move forward. We trusted the road ahead was clear though the view wasn't.

I've had many adventures on the asphalt. I've witnessed drivers swerve in other lanes and I've done the same. Red lights have been run and speed limits ignored. Yet, with all these scenarios, I continue to get behind the wheel. Why? 1) My job appreciates it when I show up to work and these old feet won't get me there. 2) I presume I will be safe and all will be well. Driving takes faith, as does everything else in life.

Our lives can easily be compared to excursions on the highway. We can't foresee what tunnels, twists and turns lay ahead until we get there. In fact, as soon as we relax and the ride seems smooth we are sure to hit a bump or five. We'll lose jobs, sever relationships and receive bad news. The more life we experience, the more apprehension we have to press on. We'll want to pump the breaks and give up never to take any risks at all.

Fear paralyzes.

When we place our faith in God and allow Him to be in the driver's seat, He makes our paths straight and visible. Through the film of uncertainty. The smog of setbacks and the labyrinth of loss.

Faith mobilizes.

If we, as Christians, can believe in the Lord of Lords, though we haven't seen Him, can't we trust that even when our situation looks bleak, He will fill us with an inexpressible and glorious joy to see us through? (1 Peter 1:8) Faith is confidence in what we hope for an assurance about what we don't see. (Hebrews 11:1)

The journey will still have difficulties but oh, how comforting it is to know we won't face them alone! By giving up the illusion that we are in control gives us freedom to simply enjoy the ride.  And...let's not forget the view when we sit on the passenger side.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seasons of Life

  “Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?”   Stevie Nicks wrote these lyrics in 1973. I have listened to Landslide more times than I can count, and each time it hits right in the gut. It’s a song about change. About fear, love, aging, and the quiet questions we all carry as life keeps moving forward.   As   I listened again recently, with the end of another year approaching, I found myself reflecting on the last twelve months. This has been a year! I’m not even sure what adjective fits best. Crazy maybe. Long. Unexpected.   Sometimes life throws so many curveballs at such an accelerated speed, all you can do is try to keep up so they don’t knock you down.   2025 has been filled with a plethora of lessons in love, humility , fear, doubt, grief, and joy. They didn’t all come easy. But then again, we were never promised easy.   In fa...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Waited.

  I beckoned you to come near, but my way didn’t look like what you wanted.   The lights of the night drew you in, Pulling you into dark corners.   I waited.   You searched for acceptance   in people with empty promises and hollow souls.     You longed for love, not realizing it was mine you needed all along.   I waited.   You turned toward me in moments in need, in fear but each time, you pulled back thinking the distance was too great to cross.   I waited.   The end of your rope seemed to get longer.   Still, I waited.   Your choices led to pain. Things once whole began to fall apart.  What you held onto slipped through your hands.   I was there. I waited.   Then, gently, I opened your eyes to what you had been chasing And your heart to what had been chasing you all along.     And when you finally stopped running There I was,   exactly where I had always been. Waiting.  
Post a Comment
Read more

Journey with God

Did you know there’s a bird famous for holding the world record for the longest nonstop flight from Alaska all the way to Australia? It traveled over 8,000 miles in just 11 days! I stumbled upon an article about the Bar-tailed Godwit while mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, and I’ll admit, I didn’t know anything about this bird before. These fascinating shorebirds escape the harsh winter for warmer climates. My first thought was, why don’t they just stop somewhere closer along the way? According to experts, stopping earlier often means landing in places with less food, more competition and predators, and poor habitats for their long bills. The Godwit’s long nonstop flight reduces these dangers. Even more impressive, these birds begin preparing for their expedition several weeks in advance. They don’t need to eat during their journey because they gorge for 1 to 2 months before departure, building up fat reserves. A few weeks before migration, their digestive organs shrink to reduce ...
Post a Comment
Read more