Jen’s Gem: Put God in the driver’s seat.

I have been on exactly two rollercoasters in my life. The first was with my mother. Neither of us had any clue what we were in for and it’s likely she saw her entire life flash before her eyes. The second time was a result of me caving in to peer pressure in college. I screamed from the moment my seatbelt was latched until the ride stopped.

Rollercoasters are not my thing. I don’t mind the speed but the “you might die” at any moment doesn’t sit well with me. My kids on the other hand enjoy this popular attraction. Clearly they don’t get it from me.

This week, in less than 24 hours, my life resembled a roller coaster. On one day, I received great news about my daughter’s college tuition and my son’s job interview going well. Riding high, I was praising God for His favor on my family. Just as the glitter was beginning to fade on this news, I received a call from my daughter that she’d been in a car accident. 

Within minutes I was in my car driving to Yale New Haven Hospital. To say that I had to exercise my faith every second is an understatement. Construction, bright lights, and my trepidation of driving at night combined into a triple whammy fright fest. It was a complete “Jesus take the wheel” hour until I reached my destination.

When I arrived, I saw my daughter in the waiting room with her friend visibly shaken and upset. A couple of hours later, we were back at her apartment. Yes – two hours in the ER at Yale. Not the standard six hours, but two. The doctors, nurses, and admins were amazing. Calm, efficient, caring. I’m not a spokesperson for them, but if you have to go to the ER, go to Yale.

Her car is likely totaled. Tears were shed as we cleaned it out the next day. She loved that car. Her life savings went into purchasing it. She took care of it and had it all “blinged” out with cool accessories. Even the air valves on her tires had sparkly covers! 

When I saw the car, I was floored at the amount of damage. As I examined it, only one thought crossed my mind, which I shared with her. “God’s hand was on you. His angels were at your wheels.”

While she cried over the loss of her beloved car. I cried in immense gratitude to God for protecting her. He saved my baby girl. Just a few days earlier I was thanking Him for the unexpected funds for her college tuition. That day, I was thanking Him for her life. Talk about a roller coaster ride! 

Life is a series of ups and downs, left turns and right turns, yet as wiggly as it gets, God is with us through it all. When we put our trust in Him, we can know for sure that He will always be with us.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV)

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18 NKJV)

As we navigate the next steps of this process, I know that God’s hand will be in it, providing a favorable outcome. Actually a more than favorable outcome because He uses all of the messes of our lives and turns them into works of art. 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

I’m confident that He will do it again because He isn’t thrown off by our rollercoasters. He sees them in advance and already has a plan in place to deal with them.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 NKJV)

I was not in the car with my daughter during this bend in her tracks, but God was. Unlike me, He loves rollercoasters and He loves riding them with us. So strap yourself in. Make sure God is with you and let Him take the wheel. 

Then, get ready for the ride of your life!