Enjoy the Ride

 "People can seek godly answers honestly and yet end up in different places. God knows the heart...........I run into people all the time who say "The Bible says....." , they never say as it has been translated and interpreted. You shouldn't be able to get away with that. We are all interpreting"

Upon studying the basketball practice and game schedule, I've accepted that we have to get Xman driving. While we love to see games and watch him play, the amount of hours demanded in conditioning and practices on top of games is intense. And most of it happens during the dinner hours, 20 - 25 minutes from our home. So if you are driving him around, you either have to plan ahead or serve cereal for dinner.

Which means for the next six weeks (or longer) I have to ride with him until his father and I BOTH think he's ready to drive solo.

This picture - it's what I look like EVERY single time I ride in the passenger seat. I hold on to the door handle.

I don't know why. I'm not getting out. It's not going to keep him safe. It's just become a reflex.

I've explained to him he's a good NEW driver. It's not him I worry about (or at least not the big worry). He's done 25 hours of classroom instruction and multiple driving lessons. He knows the laws. And he's still new enough that he very much drives following all the rules.

The rest of the locals not so much.

We approached a stop sign across from a school this week. Xman came to a complete stop, had his right turn signal on. He looks, it's clear to his left. I see him begin to go and say "STOP."

Because I know the Mom in the huge SUV is going to pull out in front of him. She's been sitting at the school waiting to go left - he followed the law and stopped. He has the right away but she goes. And sure enough. She cut him off. And so did the car behind her.

These are the things I worry about. Because when you pause to follow the law - people assume they don't have to. And they go.

And unless you've been driving a while, it's hard to anticipate the many ways other people can not be law abiding drivers.

We continued on our entire drive to have people pull out in front of him (while driving 5 mph above the speed limit) when they not only did not have the right away but it required him quickly having to slow down/stop.

This is why I hold the door when the kids drive.

At some point, Xman looks over at me and says "Mom - Relax." He turns the music up, huge Xman grin and begins to sing.

And I do. I relax. I sing. I roll my window down.

I shift my focus to what's INSIDE the car.

As I drove myself home after he got out for basketball practice, I was reflecting on that exchange.

"Relax Mom. I've got this."

I'm pretty sure Jesus says it to me multiple times a day.

"Relax Child. I've got this. Let go of the door handle and enjoy the ride."

Mama Warriors, I think these last six months or so have many of us holding on the door handle.

We are all interpreting the world around us differently.

We have different views on the virus, the economy, the election, the everything.

If we were really honest with ourselves, we each have different nuances in our spiritual life.

I listened to a sermon this morning that reminded me that when you feel like the world is out of control, it's not out of His rule.

So relax child. Take your hand off the door.

Turn the radio up.

Focus on what's IN the car and not all around it.

Enjoy the ride.

Published 11/14/2020