At the Car Wash

When I was a little girl I was afraid of many things. One, being the automatic car wash. I will never forget the first time my dad took the car through the wash. My mom had shot gun, and I was in the backseat. It seemed exciting at first. My dad put the car in neutral, took his hands off the steering wheel, and everyone relaxed as we let the conveyor move our dirty car through the wash. We were going to get clean!

As the chemical that cleans the car covered it in a giant slap, we lost our clear view of where we were going. Just as the view became completely obstructed, the wraparounds began beating loudly on every part of the car. With no ending view in sight, I knew their strong pointy arms were going to come bursting right through the windows and hood of the car. As a little girl I feared those wraparounds would wrap right around me, break an arm or leg, poke out an eye, or take me out of the car and away forever!
We can laugh at this account of a little girl afraid of a simple car wash, but we can also relate this tale to the way we often approach our journey with God. We let God lead us to the conveyor of a calling He has placed on our lives. With the soapy smell of optimism, the excitement of what’s ahead and the freedom of allowing someone else to steer for awhile, we begin the journey with great enthusiasm! However, that optimism can quickly turn to anxiety, confusion and fear. When obstacles wrap around us and we cannot exactly see the results of where God is taking us, oftentimes we may find ourselves compelled to hit the brakes or begin steering on our own again. This can be dangerous!
A very dear friend of mine asked me just the other day, “So, are you still afraid of the carwash?” Truthfully, it does raise my anxiety. I have never been good at giving up control. However, what magnificence we all miss out on if we are not willing to give up control, place ourselves on God’s conveyer belt and trust him to lead us on His journey (even when we cannot see where we are going). After all, the end results are nothing but clear, clean, and sparkling!