Jesus take the wheel?? Makes a good song huh? But trusting even an all knowing God in difficult times is often easier said than done!
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Last year, my husband and I went through a tough period. We were living somewhere that wasn’t working out for us. We could just feel the need to move on. It was a bad move to begin with but was necessary for him to complete his doctorate. It just seemed like nothing was working out for us there. Even my daughter, who was in her first year of high school, wasn’t happy and didn’t feel she fit in. It was time to move on..but that would prove to be easier said than done.
He started applying for jobs all throughout the country. In his career, you don’t just look in one location. You basically have to be willing to go where the opportunity presents itself. Since he had gotten every job he ever interviewed for we thought this would be easy!
We were wrong.
He had TONS of interviews! In fact, he had so many interviews I literally had to start a spreadsheet. I am not even joking. I had to track all these phone interviews, and face-to-face interviews, where they were and the results of them. He was traveling all over the country on what seemed like a weekly basis and was usually one of two finalists for the position.
And yet one door after another slammed shut. He didn’t get the job.
We were at a loss. We didn’t understand what was going on! All of a sudden this man who always got the job wasn’t getting any! Usually, it was because they would end up hiring an internal candidate or not hiring anyone! Weird was the only way I could describe it. I am not talking about one or two jobs. I am talking more like twenty!
It was honestly the most baffling time of our lives! It made no sense! One or two jobs, yeah I can see that. But tens of jobs? Something was going on!!
We were in our own personal wilderness with God leading the way, except we were too busy looking at where we THOUGHT we should be heading instead of looking for where God was leading us!
Answered Prayer
Then a job opened up in Connecticut where we had lived previously. My husband is from Connecticut originally and I had lived there for over fifteen years so it was really home for us. We had family there. We had really been wanting to move back home and here was this job that opened up! So of course, he applied.
He got the interview and flew to Connecticut for it and then, that same week, flew to another state for another interview.
While he was at the airport returning home from the interview in the other state, he called me. He said three words that still give me goosebumps.
We’re going home!
He got the job back home in Connecticut and we would be returning home in about six weeks. I immediately broke into tears.
As I went about the rest of my day, beginning to make arrangements to move, something hit me.
Two months before all this happened..before we even started looking for jobs, I had started praying that God would make a way for us to go back home. I prayed for it every day.
Because we were unhappy with where we were and what was going on there, because we were worried about finding another job, because we were focused on the NOW and that job in Connecticut wouldn’t even be on the radar for another six months, I had forgotten that I had even prayed for it!
I was focused on the situation that we were in and the jobs that were available at THAT moment…and couldn’t see God was working to answer my prayers just because the answer wasn’t visible yet.
I had this plan for how God should have worked things. We often do that, don’t we?
Jesus Take the Wheel
We often hear this saying (and the song!), but do we truly live it? It is often as though we are on this road trip with God behind the wheel. We are traveling this road that we THINK we know. And we see a turn to the left and we shout “God! Take this road! I know this road…it is perfect!! It is a shortcut!! It’s a great way to go!!”
But God keeps going!
Then another turn to the right….”God! Take THIS road!!! This road is easy…this road has some great scenery! It’s so nice! I know you’d love for me to see this road!!”
But God keeps going!
“God…turn HERE! This is the last road!! If we don’t turn here we are going to end up somewhere I don’t know!! We may end up somewhere horrible!!!”
But God keeps going!
Then we arrive where God was leading and it is the most beautiful destination….better than anything we could have imagined!! And if God had granted our wishes and turned down any of those detours, we wouldn’t be in the wonderful place we are now.
I prayed for so many states, so many jobs, so many opportunities!! We looked into each area he was interviewing in and thought how awesome it would be to live there. And each time God drove on past it.
It wasn’t that any of these other places were bad…they were all good! They just weren’t best!
God was answering my prayers…the prayers I had even forgotten about by that time because of all the stress and because each location looked better than where we were!!
I was saying “Jesus take the wheel….as long as you go where I tell you!” We want Him to take the wheel but WE want to navigate!
Trust God in All Things
Trust that God has a plan! No matter what you THINK may look good…God has better. What we THINK we want may only scratch the surface of the wonderful things God has in store!!
God has brought us home and placed us in a part of the state that we are absolutely in LOVE with.
At the time we couldn’t understand how he had been a finalist for almost every single job he went for and didn’t get a single offer. And I realize now, if God had allowed him to get ANY job offer prior to this one, he would have taken it because we were SO miserable where we were. Then we wouldn’t be where we are now.
Trusting God in difficult times really shouldn’t be something to fear!! He’s got you!! So toss out the map YOU brought on the trip and don’t just let Jesus take the wheel..let Him do the navigating as well….he knows the roads better than you!!
Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
FEELING BROKEN – LESSONS FROM A BROKEN PLATE
WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON’T MEASURE UP -YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH
WHEN YOU FEEL YOU’VE STRAYED TOO FAR EVEN FOR GOD
This is so beautiful! I love how God works all things out for our good. He does so much more than we can even imagine. I am so happy for y’all that you got to return home! Many blessings to you! ❤️
Thank you so much Donna!!
Thanks for sharing such a blessed experience! Happy to hear you made your way back home of God’s will. He will direct us in the right direction as long as we let go and let HIM take over as you mentioned. Many blessing to you and your family.😊
Thank you so much Barbara!!
Love that song and how you related to it. He had plans for you. Plans to give you a hope and a future!
Amen Denise! Thank you!!
Wow! What a wonderful testimony that God is good all the time and He gives His children the desires of their heart. Even though you forgot about your desire. 😉 congrats!
Thank you!! Yes isn’t it funny how we can get so caught up in what we are going through we can’t even see it’s what we asked for?
Thanks for this post! I enjoyed your story & agree with you. We often try and navigate when we ask Jesus to take the wheel. I need to trust that He has a plan. God bless you.
Thank you Andrew!! God bless!
A great reminder to trust, which is an important form of obedience, I think. Thanks for sharing your personal story here.
It is absolutely an important form of obedience!! Thank you Ryan!
I love the this story of Gods faithfullness!
It appeared He wasn’t answering prayers when in reality He was answering the one most important to you! Gods timing is always best! Praise Him!!!
Thanks for writing this piece!
Thank you Desiree!!! He truly IS an awesome God!!
Great reminder that letting God be God is easier said than done. I’ve taken the wheel way too many times in my life, but thankfully, God is faithful to let me see the path I choose is never as good as His!
Amen!! Thank you!!!
Love this post, Diane. I especially love your analogy of the roadtrip, where we’re trying to tell God where to turn, where to stop, etc. That is so me, getting so hung up on what I think is best that I don’t see the true best He has in store for me. Thanks for this encouragement today!
Thank you Jerusha!! I am so glad it encouraged you!!
Awwww, I’m so happy for you! Connecticut is beautiful, and there is NO place like home! Beautiful post, too, and so true that God always has a plan for us that is better than any alternative we can dream up for ourselves! All we need to do is be patient and TRUST in Him!
Thank you Amy!! It’s so true…home is definitely where the heart is!!
Congrats for the new job to your hubby, God will answer our prayer in a mysterious way, what we pray for will come true sooner or later, sometime the answer is the best one more than what we expected.
Amen Ina!!!
This is so true! My husband and I were in a very similar job search situation. We didn’t end up near home, but I do believe we ended up exactly where we were meant to be, and I trust His plan. I still have to remember that though, now that we are freshly planted in Georgia and unpacking boxes. lol.
Yes packing is never fun! LOL Congratulations on the move!!!
Nicely said.
Thank you!
I needed to read this one more time and it blessed me today even more than last time. I love your last quote so much that I tweeted it so others could enjoy too! 😉
Thank you so much Shan!!!
This is such a great reminder. I like to be in control–or feel like I am, at least–so sometimes trusting is easier said than done.
Thank you Crystal!!
God had a plan for you! There was a reason all of the interviews didn’t work out! I’m so glad your path took you back home to Connecticut! It sounds like you will be really happy there! I pray you have a safe move! Take care!
Thank you Sarah!!
Congratulations on the new chapter in ya’lls life!
Thank you Jasmine!! We couldn’t be happier!!
“We want Jesus to take the wheel but we want to navigate.”
Oh my goodness yes. This is such a sticky point of life. Thank you for the reminder to surrender to Jesus.
Thank you Bailey!!