The radio in our minivan hasn’t worked in a couple of years and it has been one of the best-unexpected blessings for me as a mother. As you’ve probably guessed, the silence in our car rides doesn’t linger long with two young children. Questions, stories, experiences, and laughter come in all topics and types along the way.
I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed it every single day, because let’s be honest, sometimes silence is beautiful after a chaotic morning. Nevertheless, I welcome everything their sweet little minds want to discuss and end up treasuring the moments in my heart.
One of my daughter’s favorite things to do is “see” something out her window and shout it out loud. However, if I do not respond immediately to her and look her direction at the object she spotted (because, you know, I’m driving….), she will shake her head “no” and said, “ohhh, you missed it.”
Every. Single. Time.
Apparently, in her mind, I have missed almost everything we pass by on her side of the car.
Her sweet little voice telling me “ohhh, you missed it” makes me giggle because even though I will respond and say, “I didn’t miss it!” and explain to her in detail what she wanted me to see, in her mind, I didn’t turn my head to look out her window quick enough and therefore I never actually saw it.
Oh, how profound is this repetitive experience in our car rides.
Do you ever want God to take notice of something in your life more closely or respond to you immediately, and the moment you feel He hesitates, you are disappointed?
When we place immediate demands and expectations on the Lord, we find ourselves convinced at a false reality that He doesn’t care, or He is too busy, or He is simply not listening to us. I’ll go even further to say that we can harden our hearts and refuse to listen to His response when He is ready to answer us.
My daughter doesn’t understand that I am driving and can see everything she will notice before she can see it herself. She also doesn’t understand that I am driving and cannot keep turning around on-demand to acknowledge what she wants me to see out her window. Her sweet ignorance of the entire experience is what makes those moments so funny to me.
I am sure the Lord looked at us as young Christians and extended the same magnitude of grace for our ignorance of Him and His role in our lives during that innocent season. However, there is an expectation that we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) and “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1).
We have a Savior that is not only willing to take the driver’s seat of our life but fully capable of providing everything we need to, “know this love that surpasses knowledge–that [we] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19). It is up to us to stop making demands of Him as an ignorant child would, and instead trust Him as we mature in the knowledge of His love.
I don’t know what your life looks like today in this season, but I do know that Jesus never leaves nor forsakes us. And even when we feel like He is ignoring our needs or our wants, He is still committed to perfecting us in His glory with His love and grace as our shield.
My prayer for you today is to hand over the driver keys to your Savior and allow His perfect and pleasing will for your life to occupy your mind today and every day moving forward.
May you be fully satisfied in Him!