The Pilot Car

Show me the right path, O LORD; Point out the road for me to follow.

Psalm 25:4 (NLT)

The first and second construction signs cautioned me about missing center lines and uneven lanes. I can deal with that, I thought. The third sign warned of traffic delays but the final sign read, “wait for the pilot car.” The long line of parked cars drove me to take matters into my own hands. Turning onto the nearest side road, I attempted to find my way home via the back roads. Mind you, I’ve always driven home on the main highway. So I headed West in the general direction of our house. Soon, I found myself at a fork in the road wondering which way to go.

            Did I mention we live in rural Missouri? I saw more deer as I bumped along those dusty gravel roads than road signs. And you can forget GPS or road maps. These back roads are not on any maps I own. We’re talking the boonies here. As a result, I wasted forty-five minutes driving around, only to find myself right back where I’d started. In the end, I ended up in line with everyone else, waiting for that pilot car.

As the parent of a special-needs child, I sometimes find myself running in circles. I don’t want to wait, I want to ‘fix it’. So, instead of asking my heavenly Father for guidance, I take matters into my own hands and usually find myself right back where I’d started.

            But it’s in the confusion of life, in the uncertainties of what lies ahead, that God urges me to come to Him for guidance. He created my son and knows him far better than I do. He loves him so much more than I am able to and He has good plans for him as well as my other two sons. I need to be patient, wait on the Lord, trust His wisdom, then follow His leading. He will never steer me wrong.

            That pilot car? It finally arrived. It led us through the muddle and the mess of road work till we were safely on the other side. After that, it was a matter of minutes until I pulled into my driveway. If only I’d waited for him in the first place!

Thought: “To walk out of God’s will is to step into nowhere.” – C. S. Lewis

For further reading:

• Psalm 32:8
• Psalm 37:23
• Proverbs 3:5-6
• Proverbs 16:9