The Backseat

            Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass. —Ps 37:5

For as long as I can remember I always wanted to drive cars. I recall dreams of driving being among my childhoods’ happiest. When I was twelve, I was absolutely giddy at the chance of just sitting in the driver's seat for the fifteen seconds it took so I could start the car.

When I was a junior in high school (and still under-age), my classmate and I actually took my dad's stick-shift for what was ninety seconds of the bumpiest yet most thrilling spin around the block. Afterwards, parked on the driveway, we looked at each other, nearly breathless and were like, "whoa."

In fact, if my memory serves me well, it will be six years ago on Thursday that I received my driver's license, and “graduated” from the seemingly boring backseat. Not long after, I was driving the minivan to high school every morning; my younger brother, Nat, in shotgun.

My older brother, Dan, transferred back to Rutgers the next spring as a commuter, so I lost the car. But thankfully, around that time my parents started trusting me enough to drive the family to church. All of a sudden, it wasn't dad in the driver's seat anymore—it was me.

Six years later, I'm still in the driver's seat. And probably will be, for a good while.

In passing, driving is still fun, but sometimes there is a longing for the backseat once again. Just to look out the window, trace the passing telephone poles, count the dashed lane-lines, see patterns in license plate numbers, and watch the sunset.

Sometimes when people tell us to "trust God," we have no tangible idea of what that means. But to me, this is the perfect picture of what those two words signify.

Ride in His car—take the backseat—without a care for the world.

You know Dad's not going to get into an accident; He always drives the speed limit. You know Dad's going to get you home, no matter how late. You know you can just enjoy the ride, enjoy the scenery, and fall sound asleep. Drooling a little, too. Because... He'll take care of it. Our trust is in Him.

In our greatest fears and greatest trials—hand the wheel over, kneel in prayer, and have a rest in the backseat.

In the meantime, just enjoy the ride.

            Questions for reflection:

1.  Think about the fears and trials in your life; what are some ways in which you can give these burdens over to the Lord?
2.  How can you practically take the backseat in these situations, with the Lord in the drivers' seat?