As a college student, the end of a semester is always a huge load off my shoulders. Each ending feels like a fresh start, and I look forward to experiencing a period of time that does not involve extreme sleep deprivation and online due dates. However what I least look forward to is the seven-hour-drive home from Corpus Christi to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. To begin my summer break this year I had to make the road trip alone, which I had never done before. With my car literally packed with stuff and a tank full of gas, I hopped in the front seat and began the drive with a goal in mind to make it home in the most time-efficient manner.
Of course, I hit stand-still traffic before I even reached San Antonio. Twenty-five minutes passed before I began moving again! Determined to make up for lost time, I promised myself I'd only stop once for a bathroom break and a snack and that was it. So I did just that, resting at the halfway point for five minutes before getting back on the road. Fast forward to 50 miles away from my destination (I would consider this the home-stretch). I had my music playing and I was singing out loud in order to keep myself alert when all of a sudden I got the biggest cramp in my leg. It hurt so bad, I tried to massage it while driving but it just wasn't possible! What was my solution?
Cruise control. Whoever invented that you saved my life, seriously! Because of it, I was able to rest and massage my leg cramp until I felt better and could drive again. Now I'm not one to use cruise control that often, but looking back, maybe I should've used it more. Seven hours nearly non-stop is quite a drive, let me tell you.
Let's put this in a different perspective. Say God resembles the cruise control option. I was so determined to get home as quickly as possible that I pushed myself to keep driving, to the point where I could no longer drive and I had to use cruise control to save me. Of course, I am thankful for that, but perhaps if I had used cruise control periodically throughout the road trip I would have never gotten a leg cramp, and could've rested along the drive. How often do we do that to God? How often are we adamant in going through life on our own that we get to the point where we can no longer function?
Of course, God will always be there for us, to pick us up when we fall. Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." There will never be a time when He is not available. The option to use cruise control was there the whole way home for me. But it was my choice whether to use it or not. Likewise, everyone has a choice to follow and lean on God throughout life.
God is not an empty promise. In Matthew 7, Jesus says "seek and you shall find". Perhaps it is time for you to release a burden or a circumstance, and give it up to God. Perhaps you are searching for something and can't seem to find it. Whatever the situation, put it in cruise control and He will take care of you. You're not meant to go through it all on your own. God is always there for you.
