Stunt Driving

When God spoke to Moses and others in the Old Testament, those events were encounters with God. An encounter with Jesus was an encounter with God for the disciples. In the same way an encounter with the Holy Spirit is an encounter with God for you.  Henry Blackaby

Many years ago I worked with a guy who trained to be a stunt driver.  He often told stories of how they were taught to drive 60 miles per hour and jerk the wheel in one direction and the car’s momentum would turn it so that he could slide it into a parking space backwards. I don’t know how true all of that was or if he was just trying to make the conversation interesting.

This morning I practiced stunt driving.  I am going to set the scene for you.  I am driving down the freeway going about 60mph in the left lane with a concrete wall on my left, when the car in front of me on the right starts moving into my lane.  He was close enough to me that if I didn’t slam on my breaks I was going to hit him.  I don’t think he ever saw me until I went into stunt driver mode. 

I slammed on the brakes and I lost control of my car.  I swerved from my lane into the left lane and back over to the right lane, over and over again.  I was in two lanes going down the freeway.  I saw the concrete barrier on my left and then the car on my right.  I had both hands on the wheel but it wouldn’t stop.  All of a sudden a still small voice in my head said “take your foot off the brake”.  As soon as I removed my foot off the break my car righted itself and stopped swerving. 

I looked in the rear view mirror and there was not a single car near me.  I can’t say that I blame them? If I had been behind someone driving like I was, I would have backed away too.  I must admit it scared me and I shook the whole way to work. 

I immediately praised God for saving me.  I am no stunt driver so it could only be the Holy Spirit living in me that spoke and told me to remove my foot off the brake.  My next thought was what God might be trying to teach me.  I know His point wasn’t for me to change careers and become a stunt driver.  Maybe it was to get me to pay more attention when I am driving.  You know how it happens when you drive the same way to work every day you don’t pay as close attention to the people in cars around you and you start thinking about the things you need to do at work or on the weekend.  Those are the times when you get to work and you don’t remember anything from your drive or how you got there.

God needs to be in my driver’s seat with me as the passenger.  I guess that out of control feeling I felt this morning is in reality what we should feel when God takes control of our lives.  If we allow Him to be in control we can be at peace knowing that we are in capable hands.        

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I admit this morning’s trip to work scared the very life out of me.  The feeling of being out of control was overwhelming, but peace filled me when I realized You are ultimately in control of my very life and I could not be in better hands.  Thank you for saving me today and for Jesus, Our Heavenly Savior, who saves us for eternity. 

Scripture:  Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.  You will prolong the king’s life, his years as many generations.  He shall abide before God forever.  Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!  So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.  Psalm 61:1-8