(This is for all the friends who are starting a new journey, starting over, or discovering a different path that God is calling them to. There are a lot of you and I am included on that list.  We all want to get there fast.  But God’s got some special stuff along the way that He doesn’t want us to miss.  It makes your story even better! I’m so excited for all of us!!!!)

Sometimes life is a roller coaster, with highs and lows that go to extremes.  Extreme sadness to extreme joy.   Extreme terror to extreme exhiliration.  A wild, crazy, fast ride.  But most of the time I think we’re on a Sunday drive…

Picture this:  A country road, some parts paved, some not, among green rolling hills.  A car pulls up.  Not just any car, but a beautiful, shiny convertible, perfect for enjoying the scenery.  The driver offers you a ride.  It’s Jesus.  Not bad.  You get in.

You have somewhere you want to go.  He knows without asking.  And He smiles.  He’s the driver.  He may or may not take you where you were expecting, but if you’re willing, it’s a great drive.  And He promises the destination will delight you.

That sounds a little scary, but what choice do you have?  He is your transportation.  So you talk to Him and hope you can convince Him to just stick to your plan and go straight to your destination.  He smiles again.   He has something way better in mind.

He turns on the music.  And, in spite of yourself, you start singing along; the wind blowing through your hair.  He is singing, too, with a huge grin on His face.  And you realize that He is enjoying just being with you on this journey.  And now it’s your turn to smile.

He sees a sign and veers off onto a dirt road.  It’s bumpy.  You’re uncomfortable and bouncing up and down in your seat.  Why did He do this?  Things were going along so smoothly.  You were having fun. 

And then, sure enough, it happened.  All that rough terrain resulted in a flat tire.  Great.  Just another glitch in getting where you wanted to go when you wanted to get there.  But He is still smiling.  He asks you to get out and help Him fix the tire.  You have never fixed a tire in your life. but He’s Jesus, and He’s asked you to join Him.  And besides, He probably knows what He’s doing.  Maybe you could learn something.

So you kneel down beside  Him as He expertly replaces the bad tire with a good one.  He shows you how it’s done and lets you get your hands in on the action.  And you realize that it’s really not so horrible to have to change a tire.  You both have dirty hands and smudges on your face and now both of you are smiling and laughing and ready to get back on the road.

He drives back to the main road, and you suddenly so appreciate the smooth surface.   You should be to your destination in no time now.  You share stories with each other and you thank Him over and over for allowing you to ride with Him, for teaching you how to change a tire, and for having a great stereo system!  The air smells delicious as it whips through your hair.  Like homemade burgers.  And then He gets that look on His face again, telling you that there is going to be another stop.

You look at your watch.  You could have been there by now.  But you are kinda hungry and it is lunch time.  And it does smell great.  So you follow Him to this tiny little mom and pop joint.  Hardly more than a shack, with the most delicious smelling burgers ever.  They are sizzling and ready as if they were expecting you.  Jesus fixes your burger with everything imaginable…tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, bacon, onion, ketchup, mustard, relish.  Just the way you like it.  And He smiles again.  You both bite into your delectable burgers, the juices running down your faces.   You realize how hungry you really were and how good this really tastes.  It’s as if He knew you better than you knew yourself. 

But the burgers are not the only wonderful part of this meal.  The owners of the place come and sit with you.  They introduce themselves and within minutes you feel like you’ve known them all your life.  Apparently, they already know Jesus and delve right into deep conversation with Him, including you in the discussion.  It is clear that He has been here frequently and gone through much of life with these people.  And then you realize He didn’t just bring you here for the food.  He brought you new friends. 

After hugs and goodbyes and satisfied burps, you get back into the car.  The beautiful car that has taken you on a journey that you didn’t expect and wouldn’t have necessarily asked for, but now would not change for the world.  And you look at the driver and wonder.  How could He possibly have all of this figured out so perfectly and personally for you?  Could he truly know you that intimately?  And where would He take you now?

The trip continues – a much longer trip than you had anticipated. Predictable stops and completely unforeseen ones.  Scheduled breaks and random ones by Jesus’ choosing.  But you realize that your focus is no longer on the destination, but on the beauty of the ride itself and all it’s surprises and turns.   And your trust in the driver has grown incredibly.  With each stop along the way  you have come to know Jesus in a whole new way and to see that each place He takes you to is designed just for you.  It’s not random.  It’s part of the big picture.

You are smiling and laughing and talking and listening.  Caught up in His words, amazed by how He’s kept all of His promises, thankful for His amazing driving skills.  And before you know it, you’re there.  Your destination.  It may or may not be the place you had at first envisioned.  But as you look at it you realize it is the perfect place for you.  You wave to Jesus in the car and walk toward your new adventure.  But then you stop and turn.  You can’t imagine one more day without your driver, your best friend.  And you motion for Jesus to join you in this endeavor.  You ask Him to be your driver for the rest of your life.  And He smiles.