Trusting

This summer my daughter, Ashley, had an early morning appointment to take her test for her driver’s license. The location was about 30 minutes away. Being unfamiliar with the route we had to take, I planned to leave an hour early, just in case.

My day began well.  Despite not being much of a morning person, I managed to get up and was ready with time to spare. While I was waiting for Ashley, I spent some time reading my Bible.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

I smiled while reading the familiar verse that had so often brought comfort.  When Ashley came down the stairs I could tell she was very nervous.  Silently I prayed that Ashley would trust the Lord with all her heart and that He would direct her path as she took her road test.

Feeling confident, I grabbed my map and we headed out the door.  As we were backing down the driveway our brakes made an awful noise. I cringed inwardly and smiled when I told Ashley it was fine. Fighting the temptation to worry, I drove on. After that, things went from bad to worse. A stretch of road that should have taken us 10 minutes ended up taking 25 due to a malfunctioning traffic light. Finally, we reached the freeway with 30 minutes left till the test. My relief was fleeting because a few minutes later I missed our exit and ended up terribly lost. Eventually, frantic and in tears, I called my husband.  He calmed me down and once he was able to find my location on a map, he assured me I was only a few minutes away from my destination.

We arrived at the test site with only 2 minutes to spare. The official who was taking on her test was very gracious as I apologized for arriving at the last moment.  Awhile later, Ashley began her test. As I was waiting I chatted with another nervous mother.  We both confessed we had butterflies in our stomachs as we awaited the results. Our conversation eventually turned to the subject of prayer.  She shared how the Lord had recently answered prayer in her life and I was so encouraged. Before we knew it, our girls had returned.  We parted ways and went to hear the results. 

The official met me with her clipboard and an expressionless face.  Listening intently to her every word, I almost held my breath. Finally, after going over the entire test, she smiled and congratulated Ashley. Since it would have been inappropriate to hug the official, I simply thanked her. As we got into the car I looked over at the sweet lady I had been chatting with and we simultaneously gave one another a smile and “thumbs up”.

Needless to say, our drive home was far less stressful! I mentally recalled the events of our morning and how stressed out they made me. Then the verse I had just read that morning popped back into my head:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

It was as if the Lord was saying to me, “Leslie, I promised you this morning that I had everything under control and that you could trust me”.  He had spoken to me that very morning through His word, to reassure me and I totally missed it.

Later, I reflected over the day’s events.  I thought of the man in the book of Mark who says:

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Like that man, I prayed and asked the Lord to strengthen my faith. Sometimes, I just feel so weak. I am so grateful that the Lord is so very patient with me. Had I simply trusted Him, I could have spared myself a whole lot of drama. Given the fact that I am “directionally challenged” I have a feeling there will be opportunity to try again.

My prayer for all of us is that when faced with uncertainty, we will choose to trust with all our hearts. Even if things aren’t going well or according to our plans, we will not be moved. May we all cling to Him and seek His direction.

Be blessed, my friends!