As we (hopefully) head out of winter, I have one more blog about the snow. Two years ago, I inherited Randy’s little BMW Z3 convertible. It sounds like a fun car and it is. That is as long as the ground is free of snow and ice. That’s why I got the car. Randy’s trip to work is a minimum of 45 minutes on the highway which is much too dangerous in the snow in a little Z3.
Last year, I was always a mess driving it to and from work – my typical 7 minute commute doubled as I slipped and slided down the road. If it had snowed the night before, I was almost guaranteed to make an unplanned one-eighty, and I was not able to get up the small slope into the church parking lot. Before I’d set off, I’d say a prayer for protection and after the adventure, I’d sit in the car, trying to catch my breath and still my pounding heart.
This year, I got much better at handling it. It’s rear wheel drive, so I learned how to start up a slope and, just before I started to slide back, hit the gas so that the rear of the car would go up the slope first and drag the front end to the top. I also became more sensitive to the feel of the tires, reacting much more quickly when they would start to skid and learning how not to over or under correct the stearing. But I always know that at any moment I could end up facing the other direction.
About a month ago, when we had the big blizzard, I was driving and again spun out. As I righted the car, I realized that although I feel in control, I’m really not at all. And it struck me: that is so much like life. When we first start out, feeling our way into adulthood, we lose control easily, often over or under correcting when we get off course, and we fail to pay attention to the stirrings inside of us. But as we mature, we get better at handling the unexpected and being aware of our feelings and what they mean. Some people never mature in this way and so spend year spinning out of control. For them, health (and safety!) begins with learning to acknowledge what’s going on inside of them (sensing the tires grip of the road) and learning to handle the power we have as people (knowing how the car is made and how it can best be used).
However, even this type of maturity isn’t really the end of the story. No matter how skilled I get, there is always some ice patch in life that I cannot prepare for. Those that have chosen to follow God have at least initially acknowledged that they will never be in control. But I think it’s a life long journey to be aware of our need for outside protection and guidance as we drive the highways of life.
After that most recent spinout, I continued on my way, thanking God for his promise to provide what I cannot. His word says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” Or to put it in more modern language, “We can drive down the street, but the LORD determines which way the car is facing.”
you have such a gift for word pictures! I love you writings...and wish you did more of them.
Posted by: Paula | March 09, 2011 at 07:58 PM
I love your posts, and this one is no exception. Hope you and Randy are well. I miss you both a bunch.
Posted by: Judi Thomas | March 10, 2011 at 02:47 PM