When I was fifteen years-old we moved from Montana to California. I had my driver’s license, so I did most of the driving. With my mom riding shotgun, and my younger siblings in the back, we headed out in the family car on a snowy day.
When we started out on this adventure everything was fun and exciting. It only took a hundred miles or so for this slow trip with the repeated scenery of snow, ice, and slow traffic to get really old. I turned on the radio as all my family fell asleep. The weather continued to get worse and worse as we creped along the highway. The curves in the road became more and more aggressive as the highway ran alongside a river, crossing back and forth over that river. I felt comfortable driving on this winding road because a snowplow had already been though the canyon, and it was pretty easy to see where the road was leading me. As I was about to cross over the river yet one more time, we hit a slick patch of ice, and before I knew what was happening, we were spinning out of control. I turned the steering wheel into the spin, but I couldn’t hang on. I had that ‘Jesus take the wheel’ moment. After spinning around three to four times, we slid backwards into the ditch. The snow piled up in the ditch and along the side of the road acted like a big marshmallow and cushioned our stop. My poor family was awakened abruptly as we slammed into the snow. As the four of us climbed out of the car in the snow, we realized we were all fine, and surprisingly enough, so was our car. A few cars passing by stopped and helped us get the car out of the snow-filled ditch.
That day, we all knew God had taken care of us. Jesus really did take the wheel. He made sure that we didn’t spin off into the river. We did not flip the car. We did not get hurt. Our car did not get hurt. The Lord not only protected us, but He gave us the strength to make it through the unfortunate accident.
Whether we hit an icy patch on the highway, we’re going through a rough patch in our marriage, the doctors are trying to patch us up, we are trying to patch up a relationship that has gone a little sideways, or even feeling like we’re spinning out of control while raising kids, we don’t have to fear, because God is with us. He is going to help us, give us strength, and take us by the hand and hold us up. We need to take hold of His extended hand, and He will get us through whatever we are facing. No matter what happens, when life is spinning out of control, just like in the Carrie Underwood song, let “But let all things be done decently and in good order. Jesus take the wheel.” Her chorus states that we can’t do this on our own, we need Jesus’s help. The Bible puts it this way:
“Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
