The Controller

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by Sherry Chamblee

There’s something about hurtling down a Los Angeles freeway at 70 miles per hour that creates such conflicting emotions in me.  

If my hands are on the wheel, my foot on the gas pedal, I’m fine. The only nervousness comes from wondering what that big semi-truck is going to do in the next couple seconds.  

However, if I put anyone else in the driver’s seat, I’m suddenly convinced we’re all about to crash and burn at any second. It has nothing to do with the talent of the driver, either. It’s just the fact that I’m not in control.  

The other day when my daughter was driving me somewhere in her car, this got me thinking. She’s a competent driver. She had good, professional training, and has been driving successfully for several years now. Yet I get so nervous – even though she drives no differently than I do, really. 

Isn’t that how we are with God though?  

We say we want God to be in control. We buy the T-shirt that says God is on the throne, and we know where our trust lies, and we talk about letting God lead us. But when it comes to taking our hands off the wheel, to stepping out of the driver’s seat and getting in back, to letting God be the one in charge of the gas pedal and the brake – that’s when we get nervous.  

We see the semi-trucks of life all around us, and we can imagine only one outcome – us squished in the middle like a little bug. So we want to wrest that steering wheel from God’s hands and twist it all over so we can get out of the way of those trucks. We want to be the one mashing the gas pedal, or pumping the brake so we don’t run into whatever we think is too close in front of us. We want to be the one who decides which off-ramp to take and whether or not the car can make it over that piece of debris in the lane ahead. We want to be the one that decides it’s time to pull over, or that we aren’t getting where we need to be fast enough.  

Truth is, we talk a good game, but we want to be the one in charge when it comes right down to it.  

I have to remember each day to consciously ask God to take over for me. Actually I often have to remember more than each day – multiple times throughout each day. And there are lots of times when I fail.  

But every time I do take that control, I wind up messing things up. I might feel like I’m safer when I’m in control, but it’s a lie. God is the Expert – God is the Great Controller, God is the One with all the skill and knowledge and wisdom and discretion.  

Lord, help me remember that tomorrow, and every time I feel like I’m out of control on that highway of life.

About the Author:

Sherry Chamblee

Sherry grew up in various cities around northern and central California. This gave her all sorts of stories that sat and festered in her brain, waiting to be let loose. She eventually went to college in Wisconsin, where she met her equally frenetic husband, Rich. They have six (yes, count them) children, two dogs and a cat, and currently reside in a madhouse in the southern California area. As a family, they enjoy being active in their local church. Sherry spends her time writing when not caring for Granny, the kids, the dogs, the cat and any number of strays in the neighborhood.

Sherry Chamblee can be found at http://www.sherrychamblee.weebly.com Or check out her books at http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Chamblee/e/B00BA06RJ2/

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