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I barely remember the first time I drove a car. I was 3 1/2 years old when my mother put my sister and me in her car while standing outside talking to our babysitter she had just rendezvoused with. It was one of those 1950s autos with the starter on the floorboard. Somehow I managed to hit that starter and then floored the gas pedal as the car screeched across the parking lot, glanced off a big tree, went across the street, and ended up being stopped by the front porch of a little old lady’s home. One of my earliest memories is of the lady coming out of the front door of her house with a broom screaming at me and whoever would listen about how I had destroyed her house. I also remember the scowling look from the police officer as he peered at me through the window of the car. I did not get a ticket, but I also won no accolades from my parents that night either. I’m quite sure my guardian angels were on extra duty that day as they have so many other days since.

I also remember from a fairly young age my father would let me “drive” as I sat in his lap in the driver’s seat and steer as we went. Of course, this was the golden age before seat belt laws, children’s seats, and a zillion other laws for drivers and passengers of private cars. I just don’t know how we survived those times without them, but somehow we did. I felt so “grown-up” being able to control the car from the steering wheel and sensing the trust from my father to keep it on the road even though his hands were always ready to take the wheel and he only went the speed that I could control. He was teaching, and I was learning. I also think he was trying to assure himself that I would not repeat my escapade as a 3-year-old.

I can’t help but see many spiritual allegories to these experiences. As we travel through life, God has always instructed us of His ways and wants us to trust Him to guide us every step of the way. He wants us to sense his presence and protection while also wanting us to feel the joy of accomplishment in learning and doing things to better ourselves and others.  While He promises to direct our ways and lead us where we need to go, He also gives us the sense that we have something to do with getting where we need to go under our own effort and willpower. He is always there available to guide us, but at some point, He trusts us enough to “take the wheel”, and eventually to manage the whole effort in directing our lives. As long as we follow His instructions and do things His way, we will be okay. If we are faithful in little things, He will give us more and more responsibility to live the life He created us to live.

While man has “free will” to go and do as he pleases in this life, our sovereign God already knows what we can handle and what we can’t. We may be tempted and fail to do His will at times, but He has promised that He will not allow any temptation to overtake or destroy us and always provides a way of escape from the wages of our sins and errors.  His mercy and forgiveness are from everlasting to everlasting.

My parents had to handle many of my failures throughout my life. I banged up more of their cars than I ever did my own, and while they were often disappointed in my mishaps or bad choices, they never disowned or gave up on me. My mother and others prayed and believed for my return to faith after 35+ years of rejecting the faith…and God honored their efforts and prayers by restoring my faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other real explanation.

I now realize how much more forgiving and merciful God is as my heavenly father. He is more perfect than my earthly parents and has known everything about my life that was seen AND hidden. Even so, He brought me back to faith and loved me while I was yet sinning. He let me crash time and time again driving my own life too fast and in the wrong directions…and yet His hand was always near the wheel to keep me from totally destroying myself or others. He would let me go only so far into the darkness before He called me to return home to His presence. While I pretended for a long while not to listen to His call…I knew it was there. I just had to decide when I wanted to return to a relationship with Him. Just like the prodigal son and his father…God ran to meet me more than halfway when I made steps to return home to faith.

I am now happy to relinquish back to Him the keys to my life.  I now know more than ever how deep is His love for me. He forgave me completely for so many sins committed, my arrogance, my pride, my thinking I didn’t need a “father”, and my thinking that I was a god over my own life. Not only has He restored my soul and inheritance to His kingdom, but He has restored so many great relationships that were based on the “family of God”.

I am still willing to drive when and where He wants me to, but I much prefer sitting in His lap of comfort, security, and constant advice.  Where He leads me I will follow.