As I drove on this muddy mess with people walking on the side and motorcycles coming toward me, I tried to navigate this slippery terrain. In order to avoid hitting people and getting stuck in a ditch, I turned the steering wheel a bit. That was when I realized that I had no control over where this vehicle was going. We were just sliding along and I had no traction. I called back to my boys who were in the van with me to pray! One side of the vehicle slipped into a low rut in the road and then we were able get a little bit of control as we slowly moved ahead. Once the road became more level, we were able to get out of the rut and continue forward.
My sweet friend who was in the car with me was so encouraging and said that she couldn’t believe I made it through without panicking. I told her that it would not help at all to freak out, so I just prayed and did whatever I could. As we were talking I realized that I have learned to handle some of the crazy things about life here in Uganda in that way, but there are many aspects of life where I struggle much more.
I told my friend that having the steering wheel in my hand gave me a sense of control when driving, but when we started slipping I realized that I wasn’t really the One in control. And honestly that is a good thing!
Lately life has been a slippery road. There have been so many challenges and heavy situations. Many people I love are walking through difficult seasons and I cannot control the vehicle. I have written in previous blog posts about losses and Ebola. I’m also taking a quick one week trip to the states for a friend’s wedding and I am concerned about being apart from Evie in particular. Honestly, I feel like I’m metaphorically sliding along the road of life and panicking. I am thankful for that experience while driving because it reminded me that my initial response should be to pray and then just do what I can. It isn’t going to go perfectly. I’m a fallen person in a broken world full of slippery roads.
I also realized that having an encouraging friend in the passenger seat and my boys praying in the back were such a blessing! Just the presence of my friend in the van reminded me that I was not alone in this struggle. And her words acknowledging the challenges and encouraging me also had a calming effect. Just having people there to ask for prayer also helped!
This morning I woke ridiculously early, as I often do, my mind spinning. As I write I am listening to the song that reminds me that.”I’m no longer a slave to fear; I am a child of God!” I want to learn to rest in this truth as I slip along the road of life. Thank you for praying with and for me and my family. I’m thankful that we are in this together!
