How My Son and a ‘99 Jeep Wrangler Taught Me about Faith
How My Son and a ‘99 Jeep Wrangler Taught Me about Faith
After coming home late from a basketball game, my husband walked into the bedroom.
“I have to tell you something,” he said smiling. He sat down on the edge of the bed. “It happened while we were driving home tonight.”
It had been a stormy night with gusts of powerful wind, lightning, thunder, and a downpour of rain. To add to the stress, my husband was driving a ‘99 Jeep Wrangler with a soft top. Light weight, with fabric as windows.
“That drive home was rough,” he said, rubbing his neck. “My back is sore from just trying to keep the car on the road.” Although a cool car, my husband’s jeep isn’t the most reliable. I was just thankful they arrived home safely.
“Do you know what our son was doing while I was driving?” he continued, “A few minutes into the drive, he laid his seat back and closed his eyes. I’m not sure if he was asleep, but he was completely at rest. He had no idea how stressed I was trying to keep the car on the road.”
I kept listening as I pulled down the covers of our bed.
A Jeep Ride and Jesus
My husband looked at me, “I immediately thought about Jesus asleep in the boat during the storm.” I could see the emotion in my husband’s eyes. He shared how it had reminded him of Jesus, trusting His Father enough to sleep during a storm. Even in the midst of something scary, hard, and disorienting, our son trusted His father. He didn’t sit up and look out the window, worried. He laid back and took a nap.
I felt the tears in the corner of my eyes. My life had felt like one big storm. For over a year our family had been struggling with the pain of broken dreams. We had no idea where we were headed. All I could see was the storm of uncertainty swirling around me. Peace didn’t even feel like a possibility.
I am a planner, and I used to pride myself on always having a plan. After our entire world shifted, I started doubting everything. I doubted God’s plan for my life. I questioned decisions we had made. And I wondered if I even believed God was leading us. My faith was in shreds and I was so afraid of what was coming next.
The Opposite of Fear
I used to think that the opposite of fear was courage. But my son, on that dark and stormy night, didn’t demonstrate courage, but faith. He had trusted his dad to drive the car and make it home. The fact that he laid his chair back and rested was such a powerful picture as to what I needed to start doing in my own life.
Tweet ThisAt that moment I realized that I had been living in fear. Fear of my own abilities, fear of the future, and fear of where God was leading. I thought all I needed was more courage. Instead, I needed more faith.
Faith is a Daily Choice
The problem was, my faith felt too tiny. As I thought about faith, I realized that faith isn’t something to muster up. Faith is a daily choice to remember God’s presence.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses tells the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (ESV)
In Psalm 23:3, David writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (ESV)
God’s presence gives us the faith we need. We will be afraid, but we are not alone. My son might not have been so calm if a stranger were driving the car or if he was by himself. But because it was his with his own father, he could rest. His father had proven to be trustworthy.
After my husband told me that story, I went to bed with a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time. God was my Father. He had proven Himself to be trustworthy. I could rest knowing that even if I still felt afraid, my Father was on His throne and my Father was beside me.
Faith isn’t about possessing something but living in the presence of Someone. When our world shatters, or we feel the waves and wind trying to drown us, we can have faith. In the end, it isn’t about how much faith we have, but Who we place our faith in. God, our trustworthy Father, is with us.
