Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” - Isaiah 30:21
My husband Bill and I lived in a small town in southern Minnesota when we were first married. Bill worked as the city manager while I was starting up my graphic design business. One afternoon, we decided to stop by the municipal building so Bill could grab a few things from his office. Since it would only take a minute, I decided to wait in our car, a newly-purchased standard transmission Bronco II. We pulled into a parking slot facing the building’s sidewalk. Bill shut the car off and went inside.
After one minute turned into two, I began to get chilly. Since Bill had left the keys in the ignition, I thought I’d start the car to get some heat. I reached over, turned the keys, and the car instantly leaped forward and began chugging down the sidewalk!
I immediately grabbed the steering wheel to avoid slamming into the brick building on my right or the massive brick supports on my left. To my horror, I was driving a car down a sidewalk from the passenger seat! My next thought was to find the brake pedal. It never occurred to me to employ the emergency brake or shift gears into neutral.
With my eyes glued to the surrounding obstacles, I stretched my foot to the driver’s side in search of the brake. Bill was now shouting and running behind me, trying to catch up. He was just grasping for the driver’s door when my foot found the brake and I slammed it hard—only it wasn’t the brake at all—it was the accelerator! I sped on ahead, still navigating the sidewalk’s tight squeeze, and reached even further for the brake. Thankfully I found it, just moments before I would have jumped off a curb into a cross street. With my heart pounding wildly, I was humiliated but thankful there was no harm done in this entire crazy episode.
You’ve probably never driven down a sidewalk from the passenger side of a car. But sometimes it can feel like we’re navigating life in the same manner—under pressure, in tight places and not positioned in the driver’s seat as you’d like. When it happens—and it will at some point—remember you are never alone. God is always with you. Oh, yes…and don’t forget to use the emergency brake.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father in heaven, during those times when life is hard to navigate, remind me to look to you for guidance and direction. Help me to hear your voice clearly and follow as you lead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.