I’m a terrible passenger.
My whole family can tell you stories of how obnoxious I can be — from my way too many “helpful” driving tips along with the full-on use of my imaginary brake on the passenger side of the car.
Obnoxious!
And in my defense, I really can’t help it.
It comes down to my way of managing fear… and possibly… needing to be in control. (a-hem.)
When Olivia was younger, I planned a fun outing for her and her cousin Jacksen. As we prepared to leave, both of them headed for the very back seats of my minivan.
They thought they were pretty cool sitting so far away from me as they buckled their 7 year-old selves in, barely able to see out the small windows.
When we were 10 minutes from our destination, Jacksen decided I needed some assistance navigating the final leg of our journey. He began ‘helping’ me with suggestions on which lane I should be in, where my freeway exit might be, how and when to merge off the freeway, along with frequent speed limit recommendations.
I was stunned, and just kept thinking: He’s a terrible passenger.
For starters, I planned this trip. I KNOW the route and destination. And, practically speaking, I had everything needed to properly navigate the trip: the plan, the place, speed limit gauges, rearview mirrors as well as side mirrors. And let’s not forget — a driver’s license and decades of driving experience.
And the most important thing:
I had a wider vision compared to his can’t-see-out-this-tiny-back-window perspective.
His view was limited due to his size and location in the vehicle.
(I’m sure you can guess where I’m going with this … )
So many times I’ve behaved much like my 7-year-old nephew.
I had my own little plan and proceeded to tell God how to drive my life, shouting orders from the limited view of the backseat.
Do you ever feel this way:
It can be so hard to trust God!
It can be so hard to trust His timing!
📍 Do you sometimes feel like you’re grasping for a bit of control because you aren’t able to see how any of “this’ will ever work out?
📍 Or maybe you feel fear and anxiety growing because what you’re seeing is so discouraging.
📍 Or perhaps from what you can see— desperately wanting to take a different route?
(I sure felt that way when my doctors said the word “chemotherapy”!)
But…
God sees and knows the plan he has for us.
Jeremiah 29:11a (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you…”
The GNT version says, “I alone know the plans I have for you…”
And then He goes on to declare what those plans are–
“… plans to prosper you
and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope
and a future.”
I don’t want to be a terrible passenger when riding with Eddie (Lord help us all) … and I really don’t want to be a terrible passenger when trusting God with the destination of my life.
Over and over again he has been so faithful, even as I fought (okay… FIGHT) for control.
I’ve shared this Prayer of Surrender before, but it truly is what I come back to again and again.
It goes like this:
I want what YOU want,
MORE than I want
what I want…
AND
More than that…
I want YOU.
➡️ Would you pray that prayer with me each morning this week as a way of stating your trust in God’s plan for your life?
Or…
You could state it more simply and just sing… (cue music)
🎵 Jesus take the wheel! Hah!
You can download and print the prayer HERE.
