#NotMyCo-Pilot

Road trips have always been a part of my life. As an eight-year-old kid, I remember going to the store with my mom to grab groceries for our annual week-long vacation to Lake Leelanau in Northern Michigan. I knew it was a four-hour drive, as did my mom, and I knew that my attention span…well…sucked. I wasn’t a very good co-pilot.

I needed the distraction. So my mother would let me pick out an item from the store that I could take with me to keep me occupied in the car. This was before Gameboy, iPhone, and mp3 players. Even though I had a distraction, even though I had an entire bag of Strawberry Twizzlers, even though I had my bottle of Coca-Cola, after an hour or so the phrase we all know too well came blurting out of my mouth:

“Are We There Yet?”

As I have grown older, I certainly don’t need distractions anymore. I enjoy scintillating conversation with those in the car, jamming to throwback songs from my youth, and allowing myself to be mesmerized by the passing cars, trees, telephone poles, and farm animals. And while I don’t need the distractions that I needed as a child while on a long road trip, there is one thing that I have found that I desperately need as an adult.

I need to drive.

When I am driving the car, I know where I am going. I know how my Google maps work. I know how my car turns, how it brakes, and how long the turn signal blinks. I know where the temperature controls are, where the radio presets are, and how many miles I can get on a tank of gas. All of the reasons that I can give for why I need to drive the car. But let’s be honest. The real reason I need to drive is not because “I know my car and my car knows me.” It has nothing to do with my car and everything to do with me.

I need to be in control.

Which is exactly why when we hear Jesus calling us, we have a hard time listening. Oh sure, we hear Jesus. Sure, we enjoy his voice and his conversation. We enjoy having him along for the ride. We even love his gifts and are ever grateful when he performs a miracle in our lives. As long as he lets us live our own lives and we get to make the big decisions.

Once on a trip I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Jesus is my co-pilot.” Maybe you have seen that sticker too. Or, maybe it’s even on your car. You pass the car with that sticker and you think, “Now there is a person who gets it. There is a person who knows his/her priorities. There is a person who wants Jesus riding shotgun.” But that’s it. Nothing else.

What that sticker really says is, “I want Jesus in the front seat, so everyone can see that I roll with him. I want Jesus next to me to pass the snacks, play DJ, and play fun games. He’s perfect for the front seat. He’s the perfect co-pilot, because I still get to drive.”

Where is Jesus in your car? Is he buried in the trunk like your ice scraper, and you only pull him out when conditions are treacherous? Is he in the backseat, along for the ride but as soon as he starts talking and begging for your attention, you turn and say “don’t make me come back there!” Is he in the front seat so you can show everyone that you’re a Christian but you won’t let him drive?

Or is Jesus driving?

I have news for you. Jesus doesn’t want to be your co-pilot. Jesus wants to be the driver. He asks you for the keys when he invites you to follow him. But, that comes at a cost. And we know what that cost is; we no longer get to drive.

Relinquish control. Give up your keys. Hop in the front seat. Let Jesus drive. He knows where to go and you can trust that he will get you there safely. He may not take the way that you want. He may even take the long way without asking you for directions. St. Theresa of Avila is sometimes credited with saying, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” He may not go the way you think is best. You may ask, “Are we there yet?” You may holler when he doesn’t get off at the exit you want. But the invitation is not for us to guide Jesus.

It’s for us to trust Jesus. So buckle up and enjoy the scenery, the conversation, the Twizzlers, and the real presence of the one who promises to be with you always. Jesus is in full control and he has you.