Who taught you how to drive a car? My father first put me behind the wheel of a pickup truck and had me drive around a field while he put bales of hay in the back. My brother taught me how to drive a manual transmission on an inclined driveway and revealed the tricky nuances of a clutch. But my main instructor was Mr. Gilman, the high school Drivers Ed teacher.
Mr. Gilman was an imposing figure who took a bit too much pleasure in showing us those warning films about what can happen to distracted drivers. While I was seated behind the wheel with Mr. Gilman in the passenger seat, he would insist that I keep my eyes moving and bark out: “Be aware of what’s ahead of you and beside you. Check your mirrors. Check your gauges. Check your blind spots.” It seemed like there was too much information to take in, process, and remember. In time, it becomes second nature to keep our eyes moving and stay aware of what’s happening around us. I’m grateful for the lessons hammered into my head by my demanding teacher.
This month, our church activities start up again in earnest. On Rally Day, we return to three services each Sunday morning, with Christian Education for all ages, and an array of programs and committee tasks for the whole church family. It can feel a bit like driving a car while merging onto a busy highway, balancing our commitment to church worship with obligations at work and home. So in the spirit of Mr. Gilman, I encourage you to “keep your eyes moving” and be aware of what’s happening around you as you continue your own journey of Christian faith.
For example, faith involves “checking the rearview mirror.” Pause occasionally to reflect on the path you’ve traveled so far in your life. Remember the people who’ve been important to you, what they’ve taught you, and what advice they would’ve given you today. Faith also involves “checking your side mirrors.” See the people beside you on the road of life and seek to travel peacefully with others, knowing that many are in pain or anxious or lonely in their own private lives.
“Check your blind spots.” Hopefully there are honest friends and family members who remind us of those things about ourselves we cannot see on our own. Know that no one is perfect and the thing we find most objectionable in others is often present in our own behavior. “Say a prayer when you get behind the wheel,” literally and figuratively. Quiet yourself before you drive, trusting that God is with you and is more important than any errand you’re so anxious to complete.
Lastly, “enjoy the view through the windshield.” May your life offer you wide vistas and attractive horizons, so that your days are infused with hope. Remember the opening verse of Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills–from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” We do not travel alone; neither need we travel aimlessly. May the presence of God’s abiding love and the gifts of grace, patience, and good humor mark your “road trips” this day and always.