It is funny how I was going to write about fear this week, and what I feared the most actually happened. I was ready to sit down and share about how Jon and I have have entered a new phase in our life in having a teenage driver.
We recently bought Rachel a used car so that we could start transitioning her into driving to school and local activities by herself. It seemed like the right step. We both were afraid to let her drive our own cars due to blind spots, and the fact that we like our cars and don't want anything to happen to them. So we got a reliable car with good safety features that could withstand some scratches, and the fender benders that are bound to happen.
This is where fear comes in. The moment she leaves I am praying, fasting, begging God that she arrives safely to her destination. I even wake up in the middle of the night stressed about the various situations she could encounter, and wondering if she would handle it correctly. Rachel is not a natural driver. She is cautious and a bit nervous, which makes us nervous. Maybe she could just take the public transit system all her life. She would be safer in a huge bus.
So...This last Tuesday, after a month of her driving to school with me in the car, and me picking her up and her driving home in her car, the day came for her to drive on her own. I waved goodbye as she joyfully got into her car, then I went inside and did my usual praying. Two minutes later Michelle comes running downstairs screaming that Rachel was in an accident.
Yes, 500 feet from our house, Rachel got into an accident. She did a very novice thing which was reach for something that tipped over (when she turned the corner) and took her eyes off the road and her arm and steering wheel followed. As she was looking to the right she turned to the right and went up a curb and wiped out a small little pine tree, a hedge, and another small pine tree, then ended up in the street.
Property can be fixed; Rachel is fine. At first it seemed like the worst thing in the world, but once we took a step back we started seeing some ways in which God was looking out for Rachel. First off, when we had the horrible winds earlier this year, the huge pine tree that was originally in that spot blew down. It was replaced by two very pliable and young pine trees. I guess God knew that big old tree had to be moved. The other blessing is that it was in front of our house, and not on the freeway or a busy street. Also, mornings are typically very busy with cars and walkers. Thankfully, nobody else was involved.
Sometimes life seems like it is careening out of control. Often times it is by our own actions that things get messed up. God lets us make mistakes and choices, in Rachel case, He stepped in before it was catastrophic.
As Christians, my family has the ultimate insurance, and we have the best insurance adjuster (No, it is not Jon!). Since we own an insurance agency, we see the analogy in what it means to be insured by God before something catastrophic happens. Life insurance softens the fear of the worst case scenario.
If you have salvation secured by your relationship with Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the penalty (death) for your sin, then you are insured. Your premium was paid for life. The worst case scenario is that you and your loved ones (who also know Jesus personally) are in eternity forever because Jesus paid the premium. You are fully covered. What is the most catastrophic event that could ever happen to me, Sandy? It is not the death of a child (although that would bring unimaginable pain). The worst case is that my children turn away from their faith and let the insurance policy that they have lapse.
What if you don't have something catastrophic. What happened to Rachel is not the end of her life, or her world. But, she made a mistake. If you have a misstep in life, Jesus is the perfect insurance adjuster. He has this great ability to step in and offer guidance as to how to correct the error. He also has the authority to heal the broken, the crashed, the bent lives that come from living life in a fallen world. He can rub out the scratches, straighten out the bumpers, and teach a lesson to get you back to a better place than before. Rachel, hopefully, will be a better driver because God did not keep her from making this mistake.
Are you ready for a fender bender in your life? Are you ready for catastrophe? You can fear life and keep yourself and your loved ones hostage in a padded room. What good would that do? They would have physical safety, but lose out on the purposeful life God intended for them, bruises and all. You can never protect the heart.
Give fear to Christ. Give your heart and soul to Jesus. Trust in the insurance He gives. He has a declaration page that is all in your favor. All the small print is to benefit you. There is no hidden legal loop holes, only promises that He will be there for life's joys and sorrows. God has infinite love and wisdom to lead you through life, and relieve the fears.
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Sandy