As a little girl I loved going for rides in the car. Every once in a while, on a summer evening my dad would announce that we were going for a ride. My little sister and I would climb into the back seat of the Henry J and off we would go. We knew that no matter where our ride took us it would likely include a stop at the frozen custard stand.
In those days, seated behind my dad and mom as we rolled down country lanes,I never worried about a single thing. I simply trusted all would be well. I knew my parents would take care of us and keep us from harm. I never really gave it a thought.
During these pandemic days of isolation and loneliness country rides have once again become a special treat. I love them as I did when I was a child with one difference. Now that I’m grown up I know all the things that can happen when you’re out riding. I’m aware that someone whose attention is diverted could accidentally run us off the road. The weather could change and a sudden downpour could make driving nearly impossible. The car might break down. I know that life is fraught with unforeseen difficulties. Things can happen to us through no fault of our own. If I’m not careful, worry can cast a shadow over even the nicest of days.
The difference in the rides of the past and those of this present time, it seems to me, is trust. Life is indeed fraught with unforeseen difficulties, but the one thing I can do is choose. I can choose to trust in the One who holds my life in His hands or try to control every circumstance by my own ingenuity and strength.
I have discovered all the planning in the world, all the looking ahead and trying to anticipate every turn in the road is futile. My worrying doesn’t change a thing. On the contrary, when I lean into the Lord and trust the circumstances to Him everything works out in ways I couldn’t have known.
That isn’t to say everything works out the way I thought it should or that I understand all the ways of God. I only know when we put our trust in Him and in His Word we find His promises are true.
We will find grace for the circumstances we once thought impossible, peace in the midst of life’s storms, healing in ways only God could do. We can choose to rest in His love for us and know that He will do all He has promised to do.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3: 5,6
Blessings,
Linda
