Jesus, Take The Wheel

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
'Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
Jesus, take the wheel...


From the song, "Jesus Take The Wheel" by Carrie Underwood


I had an acquaintance ask me recently, "Does Jesus run your life?"

Pretty direct question, but I like those types of questions,... the brutally, let's cut to the chase,... honest ones....


"Yes, well.... I would have to say He does. I mean, I try to turn everything over to Him every day and pray for the sense to pay attention to what's going on around me,... you know, just in case He's trying to steer me in a particular direction."



Then this fellow says to me: "Well, that's the way I use to feel, ... but now... I'm thinking about taking the wheel back. I think I could do a lot better job of running my life than He is. If Jesus is driving then He's doing a poor job of it."



Interesting..... But, in all candor, I think this is the way most of us might "feel" at some given point in our lives. After we've let Jesus take the wheel.. (Or, as they say in recovery, our "Higher Power"... take the wheel...)...



In our Western culture I think most of the time we have this view of Jesus, "Taking the wheel"...

We will "let' Him take the wheel, perhaps even "beg" Him to take the wheel (because the car is headed for a cliff). Then, what we expect is this:

Jesus drives us to the beach. It's a beautiful, sunny day, the ocean waves roll soothingly back and forth. Then, He sets up the beach umbrella, lays out a nice "blankey" on the smooth, white sand..... and says something like, "I'm going over the the Tiki Hut. Can I bring you back a nice, cool drink, maybe one of those ones with the little umbrella in it,... on the rocks?.... Anything else?... Lobster roll?... Something from the souvenir stand? Just let me know."


That's the impression we get from a lot of t.v. preachers. You know the ones. I like to refer to them as the "Amway" gospel preachers. "You too can be a Diamond Direct!"... Just send me money and people below you (whoever "they" are) will send YOU money, and the people below them will send THEM money!"
What a racket....not that I would mention any names... Joel, Creflo, Benny, Kenneth/Gloria....

But I digress...(or do I)?


I have, over the years, gotten a bit different picture of "Jesus, Take The Wheel"...


My scenario goes something like:



"Uh,... Jesus.. I know I said "take the wheel", and don't think I don't appreciate all You're trying to do.... but, did You realize where we are?!!!!.... I mean, ... take a look around. We're in the BAD part of town for God's sake!... Oh sorry, didn't mean to say that.... I mean, "WE'RE IN THE BAD PART OF TOWN... for (Pete's) sake!"....


And Jesus says:... "No, you were right the first time. We ARE in the bad part of town... for "God's" sake. There's people here I want you to meet. Where did you "think" we were heading.... to the beach?".....

Then He sort of chuckles.



"Well, yes, the beach does sound nice."
I pound on the dash.
"I think our GPS must be broken".


Jesus: You mean the "God Positioning System?"....


God Positioning System?........ What?



I suddenly realize (or, more accurately, over time... realize) that when God takes the wheel He has a tendency to travel in areas I don't necessarily want to go, goes to places I don't want to see, hangs out with people I don't want to meet, gets me into circumstances that I try, on my own, to avoid. (I should have know this was going to happen just from reading the Gospels. Jesus always seemed to hang out with the "wrong crowd"...)


Anyway, this "take the wheel" question was posed in a great book I just read called, "Flirting With Faith" by Joan Ball. Joan, an avowed atheist, finds herself on a remarkable journey of faith and gives Jesus the wheel. It looks like it's going to be a great ride....for awhile. Then, some things start to unravel. There's an unexpected illness,... a death in the family... an unwanted career change...money problems. Jesus is taking her places she doesn't really want to go.... and she asks the question: "Is it time to take the wheel back?".....


Then, she answers her own question, .. with a question. "Where would I be today if I hadn't turned everything over to HIM?"....

What kind of person would I be today?

Would I be a kinder person? More sensitive? A gentler person? A more compassionate person? A more loving individual? Most importantly, would I have this supernatural inner peace that, no matter what happens, everything's going to be O.K.? Would I be able to have an eternal perspective on life?

Or would I have continued to keep driving... straight off the cliff?


It's a good question....an honest question. I don't think God minds us asking it. Should I give HIM the wheel? Should I "trust" HIM? CAN I trust HIM?....

Is where He taking me to a good place... for God's sake....? For MY sake?...


Only you can answer that question.......

As for me... when it comes to "steering" my own course... I've always been a terrible driver....


Just food for thought as we travel down this road of life....

Have a great week....

And remember....no texting and driving...