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Out of Control

Yesterday it was spring.  Today winter came back with a vengeance.  As I was driving in to the office, the snow was coming down and the roads were slick with the accumulation.  As I approached another vehicle stopped at the corner, I applied the brakes in plenty of time.  The ABS pumped the brakes frantically, but there was no discernible decrease in speed.  Sliding.  Slipping.  The gap between me and the SUV stopped at the corner kept decreasing at an alarming rate.  Becoming alarmed, I virtually stood on the brake.  Everything seemed to slow down.  I can distinctly remember having the time to think "I'm going to hit it and there's nothing more I can do."  It was a helpless feeling.  And then there was the bump - the embarrassment of having to admit to another driver that the fault was mine.  Is it an understatement to say that I didn't like the feeling?

When all was said and done, the two vehicles kissed bumpers.  The frame around my license plate was broken and the light beside the other driver's license plate was broken.  Annoying, but not life threatening. 

As I sit in my office a couple of hours later, I am contemplating that sensation of being out of control - of knowing that an impact was inevitable, but not being able to do anything about it.  What must it be like to feel that way about one's whole life?  I know people who feel that their life is careening out of control and there is nothing that they can do other than close their eyes and wait for the impact.  It must be absolutely terrifying.  Ironically, those people may be more realistic than the rest of us.  We may have the illusion of being in control of our own life, but are we really?  Can any of us truly predict tomorrow?  Isn't there always the possibility of an unforeseen accident in our future that will break us out of our complacency?  How do we deal with the fact that at the most basic levels we lack the ability to control our life?

The only answer I can come up with - I must trust the one who does have control.  God is sovereign.  There are no accidents or unforeseen circumstances for God.  He knows it all because He planned it and ordained it.  Further, He promises His children that whatever comes our way - good or bad -will always be for our ultimate good according to His plan. 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28 ESV)

 

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