Jared with the keys to our 15 passenger van.
Well, my third child now has the privilege to learn how to drive. I took Jared to get his temps on Tuesday. Then we headed to the park near our house to discover what it's like to control a 15 passenger van. The only other option in our house is Josh's stick shift.
I put the van in park and walked around to the passenger seat. Jared was in that seat almost faster than I was out of it. I took a deep breath and started to explain what all the knobs and buttons were. He was attentive at first but after a bit he couldn't contain himself any longer and shifted into drive. You should have seen his eyes grow as the van crept forward. "What?" he exclaimed. "It's moving and I didn't even push anything!" After that he put it back in park and seemed a bit more content to wait. I continued explaining the boring knobs and he tried each one to see it work for himself. He always was a hands on learner.
Finally I told him to put it in drive and let it roll forward so he could get a feel for steering. He did but after only a moment he was pushing the acceleration pedal and causing the van to jerk forward before quickly stopping. (He panicked and hit the brake.) I just laughed. His eyes were as big as dinner plates and sparkling blue like the ocean on a sunny day. Everything about him glowed. So it was a funny contrast to see the fear in his actions when his eyes were so thrilled.
Eventually, he was actually driving sort of smoothly without the constant jerking as he tried to figure out just how much he needed to push that pedal to go. It only lasted a minute before he was trying to see what 15 mph felt like but then quickly deciding to back off of the speed. The park is just a one way loop and on such a cold day we were the only visitors. He experimented with taking corners and staying on the road. He was terrified and confident all at once. Every time we came around the second curve he would slow way down to a crawl and go as far left as he could. I let him go with it for several times around before I finally laughed out loud. There was a tree near the edge and he was scared to death of hitting it but he wasn't even going to come close. I told him that and the next time around he did it a little more in the middle but still very SLOW. It was fun to watch him conquer his fear of that tree that really posed no harm. By the time we left the park he was making the corner just as smoothly as the others which I wouldn't quite call "smooth" yet.
Time said we needed to head home and he was doing decent so I allowed him to drive through our very quiet little town to our house. You could almost see his heart beating out of his chest as he realized he was actually going to be on the road. The cars coming the opposite direction freaked him out but he stayed on the road even though verbally he was nervous. We talked through stopping at stop signs and looking for traffic and judging when it's safe. On one turn I reminded him to turn on his turn signal. He quickly informed me that I forgot to show him where that was. It kind of freaked him out but I simply showed him when we were in a safe spot to stop.
Once we arrived home, he jumped out of the car leaving the keys in and the lights on. I sent him back to get the keys and turn out the lights. He did and still beat me in the house with his long legged strides. I could hear him shouting as the door shut behind him, "I drove the van! ON THE ROAD!" When I entered the house I was nearly bowled over by a giant bear hug and buried, I might add, in the chest of a rather massive but ecstatic son. "Mommy, that was so scary and awesome!!" Then he was off to tell the story to his brothers and sisters. I just grinned and grinned and laughed. It makes me so happy to see my kids that happy.
Kind made me wonder...we often think of being the passenger or co-pilot and letting Jesus drive However, after this experience, I wonder...God didn't create us to just sit through life and be led around like puppets. Just look at the Garden of Eden. If he wanted puppets there would have been no Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There would have been no choice. I think at the right time He puts us in the driver's seat and says, "Let me teach you how to drive this thing called life." That's not to say He ever leaves us or steps out of our lives, He just plays a different role just as we play different roles in the lives of our kids based on their age and level of maturity.
Jared is discovering this new freedom that he has never known and it is both terrifying and thrilling. He is confident and yet realizing that with such freedom comes great responsibility for the lives of his passengers and the people in the cars around him, so it gives him a fear at the same time. Jesus teaches us principles and ways to do things in His Word just as Jared had to pass a written test on the laws of driving. Then God puts us in a safe place to test it out and see how this thing works, even though it doesn't always feel safe. We try things and get excited and scared all at once but we are safe under His care despite those looming trees or cars coming the opposite direction. Eventually, we will be able to face those things on auto pilot and won't even think much about them. Then he will teach us the next thing and we will practice and practice and practice some more until one day he will give us our license and say, now it's time for the next level.
We will have to drive without actually seeing Him in the passenger seat and we will have to make choices as we drive, by remembering what He taught us. Our character will be tested to see if we will abide by the laws even when no one appears to be looking. We will know freedom to come and go or we will make poor choices and pay fines or maybe even loose our license (not salvation, freedom). Hopefully we will not be so reckless as to wound anyone in the process but the truth is we do and we have to go back to our temps. I wonder if during those times when we feel like He's distant, is He really just saying, it's your turn now. Will you remember what I taught you? Because once I can trust you to drive well, I can trust you to have passengers and I can use you to run errands for me. And we can work as a team.
I imagine that the whole time his love for us is not hindered at all. In fact, I think he rather enjoys getting to see us try and grow. I bet we even make Him grin as He watches and treasures our attempts. I know I will always treasure that day in the park with Jared. I can't imagine God feels any less loving toward His children than I do toward mine. After all it is because of His love for us that we can love anyone at all.
May we all learn to drive well on this journey called life and make Jesus grin in the process.
Many Blessings,
Misty Sunshine
I put the van in park and walked around to the passenger seat. Jared was in that seat almost faster than I was out of it. I took a deep breath and started to explain what all the knobs and buttons were. He was attentive at first but after a bit he couldn't contain himself any longer and shifted into drive. You should have seen his eyes grow as the van crept forward. "What?" he exclaimed. "It's moving and I didn't even push anything!" After that he put it back in park and seemed a bit more content to wait. I continued explaining the boring knobs and he tried each one to see it work for himself. He always was a hands on learner.
Finally I told him to put it in drive and let it roll forward so he could get a feel for steering. He did but after only a moment he was pushing the acceleration pedal and causing the van to jerk forward before quickly stopping. (He panicked and hit the brake.) I just laughed. His eyes were as big as dinner plates and sparkling blue like the ocean on a sunny day. Everything about him glowed. So it was a funny contrast to see the fear in his actions when his eyes were so thrilled.
Eventually, he was actually driving sort of smoothly without the constant jerking as he tried to figure out just how much he needed to push that pedal to go. It only lasted a minute before he was trying to see what 15 mph felt like but then quickly deciding to back off of the speed. The park is just a one way loop and on such a cold day we were the only visitors. He experimented with taking corners and staying on the road. He was terrified and confident all at once. Every time we came around the second curve he would slow way down to a crawl and go as far left as he could. I let him go with it for several times around before I finally laughed out loud. There was a tree near the edge and he was scared to death of hitting it but he wasn't even going to come close. I told him that and the next time around he did it a little more in the middle but still very SLOW. It was fun to watch him conquer his fear of that tree that really posed no harm. By the time we left the park he was making the corner just as smoothly as the others which I wouldn't quite call "smooth" yet.
Time said we needed to head home and he was doing decent so I allowed him to drive through our very quiet little town to our house. You could almost see his heart beating out of his chest as he realized he was actually going to be on the road. The cars coming the opposite direction freaked him out but he stayed on the road even though verbally he was nervous. We talked through stopping at stop signs and looking for traffic and judging when it's safe. On one turn I reminded him to turn on his turn signal. He quickly informed me that I forgot to show him where that was. It kind of freaked him out but I simply showed him when we were in a safe spot to stop.
Once we arrived home, he jumped out of the car leaving the keys in and the lights on. I sent him back to get the keys and turn out the lights. He did and still beat me in the house with his long legged strides. I could hear him shouting as the door shut behind him, "I drove the van! ON THE ROAD!" When I entered the house I was nearly bowled over by a giant bear hug and buried, I might add, in the chest of a rather massive but ecstatic son. "Mommy, that was so scary and awesome!!" Then he was off to tell the story to his brothers and sisters. I just grinned and grinned and laughed. It makes me so happy to see my kids that happy.
Kind made me wonder...we often think of being the passenger or co-pilot and letting Jesus drive However, after this experience, I wonder...God didn't create us to just sit through life and be led around like puppets. Just look at the Garden of Eden. If he wanted puppets there would have been no Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There would have been no choice. I think at the right time He puts us in the driver's seat and says, "Let me teach you how to drive this thing called life." That's not to say He ever leaves us or steps out of our lives, He just plays a different role just as we play different roles in the lives of our kids based on their age and level of maturity.
Jared is discovering this new freedom that he has never known and it is both terrifying and thrilling. He is confident and yet realizing that with such freedom comes great responsibility for the lives of his passengers and the people in the cars around him, so it gives him a fear at the same time. Jesus teaches us principles and ways to do things in His Word just as Jared had to pass a written test on the laws of driving. Then God puts us in a safe place to test it out and see how this thing works, even though it doesn't always feel safe. We try things and get excited and scared all at once but we are safe under His care despite those looming trees or cars coming the opposite direction. Eventually, we will be able to face those things on auto pilot and won't even think much about them. Then he will teach us the next thing and we will practice and practice and practice some more until one day he will give us our license and say, now it's time for the next level.
We will have to drive without actually seeing Him in the passenger seat and we will have to make choices as we drive, by remembering what He taught us. Our character will be tested to see if we will abide by the laws even when no one appears to be looking. We will know freedom to come and go or we will make poor choices and pay fines or maybe even loose our license (not salvation, freedom). Hopefully we will not be so reckless as to wound anyone in the process but the truth is we do and we have to go back to our temps. I wonder if during those times when we feel like He's distant, is He really just saying, it's your turn now. Will you remember what I taught you? Because once I can trust you to drive well, I can trust you to have passengers and I can use you to run errands for me. And we can work as a team.
I imagine that the whole time his love for us is not hindered at all. In fact, I think he rather enjoys getting to see us try and grow. I bet we even make Him grin as He watches and treasures our attempts. I know I will always treasure that day in the park with Jared. I can't imagine God feels any less loving toward His children than I do toward mine. After all it is because of His love for us that we can love anyone at all.
May we all learn to drive well on this journey called life and make Jesus grin in the process.
Many Blessings,
Misty Sunshine
 Jared with his temps. |  This is a 15 passenger van. |
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