Put it in Drive

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Have you ever ridden with someone who keeps one foot on the brake and the other on the gas? When I was a teenager I had a friend whose mom drove that way. She was about five feet nothing, so she had her seat up as far as it could go. Her hands were fixed at ten and two, and she barely could see over the steering wheel. She was pretty amusing to watch, but that is where the fun ended. My friend and I would be in the car turning a pale shade of green with every herky-jerky motion.

While we were grateful for the ride, we hated the journey. I wondered who taught her to drive and why she couldn’t relax. It wasn’t like she didn’t know where she was going. Why did she have to make it so uncomfortable? (It never occurred to me that part of her tension may have been caused by the teenagers she was driving.)

I have come to the realization that lately I have been driving through life that way. Not in the car, mind you. To quote Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man, “I’m an excellent driver.” The journey I’m referring to is the one where I hear God’s voice, get direction, believe I’ve heard and gotten direction, and then keep my left foot hovering over the brake while my right foot tries to get me going. It’s a very uncomfortable ride. (Just ask my husband.)

My latest direction is in a particular area of church involvement. God has reminded me that I’m part of a local church, so I need to go be part of that church. Sounds simple enough, but re-read that sentence. It’s profound (credit goes to the Holy Spirit here).

So I get excited and the progression can look like this:
1. Hip hip, hooray, I have direction.
2. The next week it’s like – hooray, I have direction.
3. In another week’s time it’s like – did I have direction? Huh? Oh well.

Yep, my foot was on the brake. It’s hard to move forward when you’re preoccupied with the brake.

I love how gentle our Shepherd is. He guides us in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Like sheep, if left to ourselves we will end up in ruts of our own making. By following his gentle nudging we will discover lovely pastures ahead and continue to benefit from his loving care and guidance.

So I’m taking my foot off the brake, pushing down on the gas, and enjoying the ride. How about you? Are there areas in your life where the Holy Spirit is prompting you to quit riding the brake? Buckle your seatbelt and go for it.


Love and blessings until we meet again,
Bonnie Anderson

1 Comment

Thanks Bonnie! Just what I needed!!

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