Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride

O

ne particular Saturday morning, the weather was perfect.  The sun was shining, there were no clouds in the sky, the temperature was very mild, and there was little humidity to speak of.  It was the perfect day to tend to some much-needed errands before jetting off to attend a wedding Saturday evening.  So I got up early, made a few phone calls, ate a late breakfast, dressed, and headed out the door to tackle the day ahead.

First stop, the car wash.  My car was in desperate need of a bath and I don’t mean a quick suds and rinse.  What it needed was more like a blast from a water canon in order to remove all the “little surprises” left by several flocks of birds passing through the area.  So I headed down the road to visit a brand new carwash that opened only a few weeks ago.  I had a coupon and figured it couldn’t hurt.  Anything would have been an improvement in the appearance of my car.

I arrived at the car wash, spoke with the attendant who explained the different levels of service offered, made my selection, and drove around to wait my turn in line.  Finally, I was given the go ahead to maneuver my car into position.  I approached the entrance very slowly until the attendant motioned for me to stop my vehicle.  I complied with his request and he immediately applied a thick coat of suds and gave my car a thorough hand washing.  He then instructed me to inch forward and place my front tires into an automatic conveyer system that would conduct my car through the remaining portion of the wash.  He was very clear with his instructions:  “Place the car in neutral.  Take your hands off the wheel.  Don’t apply the brakes until you reach the end of the line.”

It had been a long time since I remained in the car while the car wash machines did their thing.  I noticed that as the conveyor system took charge, the car moved forward on its own.  The steering wheel moved but the car maintained its steady, forward pace.  I was no longer in control.  A sudden noise jolted in my seat.  Strong water jets pummeled my car with pressurized streams removing all the dirt and grime caked on the outside.  Then I was under attack by several blue swirling brushes that scrubbed the dirt from the sides of my car.  The windshield was also a prime target as huge, soapy strips of material covered it, totally obscuring my view.  The car continued to inch forward in spite of the fact I didn’t know where I was going and could see nothing. Finally, I arrived at the end of the line where my car was dried by several strong automatic fans.  When I exited the car wash, my car was clean.

As I drove a way, however, I realized I had just experienced something the Apostle Paul spoke of over two thousand years ago. In his writings, Paul used the term “in Christ” on numerous occasions.  But I wondered if I really had a true grasp of what Paul really meant.  After the car wash, I believe my understanding of that term has greatly deepened.

Like the car wash, being in Christ has certain elements that go along with it.  The first is relinquishing all control of our lives.  Jesus must take the wheel, steering us in the proper direction, even though we can’t see where we are going.  There will be sights and sounds along the way that frighten and worry us.  The path ahead may be completely obscured and at any moment the rough circumstances of life may brush against us, causing us pain and discomfort.  But none of these things can harm us as long as we are in Christ.  As long as I remained in my car, I didn’t get wet, I wasn’t’ beaten around by the brushes in the car wash, the killer soapy strips didn’t beat me about the head, and although I couldn’t see where I was going, the conveyor system had a firm grip on the car.  As long as I remained in the car, I was safe.  Although I was aware of all the commotion and the scrubbing action against my car outside, inside I was safe, comfortable, and dry.

In 1 Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes, “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”  This is such a comforting and revealing statement by the Apostle Paul to his readers.  Paul makes two wonderful observations in this sentence. Paul speaks of God’s grace and being in Christ in the same breath.  He rightly observes that we only receive God’s grace when we are in fact in Christ Jesus.  Being in Christ means that we have placed our lives in his hands and that we relinquish utter and total control to him. We go where he leads, when he leads, and obey his commands, trusting in him at all times.  When we place ourselves in Christ, he surrounds us and protects us from the things in life that would separate us from God.  This does not mean life will never be difficult.  It does not mean we will never be tempted again or that we will never have any trying circumstances in life.  But it does mean that we will never go through these times alone and it does mean we can and will come through them with God’s help.

On that Saturday, I did indeed learn a lesson about God’s grace and being in Christ.  Had it not been for the car, I would have been soaked, sprayed, scrubbed, soaped, and washed up.  However, inside the car, although aware of all the commotion on the outside, I was safe and calm on the inside.  The ride may not have been one I would have chosen on a daily basis, but I was able to sit back and enjoy it.  I was not upset by it because I knew that I was secure in the car and that nothing on the outside could penetrate its protection.  Keeping this in mind, we must ask ourselves one question:  Are we enjoying our ride down life’s highway today?  If we are in Christ, the answer is yes.  If not, help is just a prayer away!