Some fathers took their sons hunting and fishing. Others took their boys to baseball games. My dad took my brother and me to Reedmans, the largest car dealership in Pennsylvania and – if you believed their advertising – the world. We would wander the acres and acres of American-made sedans, vans and pick-ups, starting in the show room and methodically winding our way to the $500-and-less lot. It often took the better part of a Saturday afternoon, and always turned out to be the best part of our week. Dad loved car shopping and was always on the lookout for a good deal.

So it was not a total surprise when I arrived home from school one day to find a midnight blue 1961 Renault Dauphine in the driveway. (Time Magazine later included this rear-engine marvel of French engineering in its “50 Worst Cars” list**. But these were the days before Google and Wikipedia, so Dad’s naiveté was excusable.)

The most memorable experience with the Dauphine – of which there were many – was the afternoon that Dad and I braved icy streets to pick up my mother from school. Even though we were traveling at a snail’s pace, steering the Dauphine was impossible because there was no weight on the front wheels. Eventually the convergence of a patch of ice on a gentle slope and a gust of wind sent the Dauphine and its helpless occupants careening into a snow bank. Dad and I looked at each other and simultaneously broke into a fit of laughter. Maybe it was because we were relieved that we had survived, or that the spinout happened before – and not after – we picked up Mom.

The Dauphine’s design was dangerously flawed; its steering tires had little or no traction when the road conditions were less than ideal. Consequently, Dad found a new owner for this deathtrap before the next winter.

Many people, even Christians, have the same problem. As long as life’s path is smooth, they can coast along with little concern for their safety. But when the ups and downs become more severe and the winds of adversity pick up, they quickly spin out and crash. In short, their lives lack traction.

The Apostle Paul was concerned that his young disciple might also end up in a spiritual snow bank. In his final letter Paul urged Timothy to stay grounded in what he had been taught. He used three examples to drive his point home: the soldier who stands his ground, the athlete who stays on the course, and the farmer who perseveres to the end (2 Timothy 2:1-6). Each one of these images communicates the necessity of firm traction.

So if you have that dreadful feeling that your life is starting to slide out of control, don’t panic. Trusting in feelings and hunches will only put you into an emotional tailspin. Redoubling your efforts is as productive as pushing the gas pedal to the floor when the tires are already slipping on the ice.

The only way to safely steer through life’s hazards is to stick to the living and written Word of God. Let Jesus take the wheel. Wait for the Spirit’s gentle push. He alone will get you reconnected to the Truth that will dissolve your fears and steady your faith.

Blessings,

Pastor Dave