Storm at the Auto Spa

My Jeep was dusty and dirty, so it was a perfect day to try out the new Auto Spa. The winter sun poked through bright clouds, so I wasn’t worried about inclement weather.
     I turned my Jeep into a narrow lane to enter the high-tech wash. As I approached the entrance, my tires on the driver’s side suddenly dropped downward, but the Jeep continued to lunge forward. I panicked, my knuckles turning white as I put a death grip on the steering wheel and slammed the brakes.
     “Take your foot off the brake!” the dark-haired attendant in the blue uniform yelled, waving his hands.
     “What?!” I felt confused.  
     “Take your foot off the brake!” he hollered.
     I lifted my foot off the brake as chills ran down my neck. I looked up as the technician pointed to the metal track embedded into the concrete. My tires were supposed to drop into the track so the vehicle could be guided through the car wash.
     But that wasn't all. The attendant barked out two more commands: “Take your hands off the steering wheel and put the vehicle into neutral!" 
     Okay, now I get it.
      I let go of the steering wheel and shifted into neutral. I felt petrified when I realized I had absolutely no control over the Jeep. The Auto Spa had taken over. All I could do was sit back and wait. 
     The Jeep inched along into a darkened tunnel. Gargantuan, roaring mop heads descended from a two-story ceiling, circling and pushing against the roof and windows of my Jeep. A thundering deluge of water slapped against the windows as giant roller bristles swiped the exterior sides, back, and front with foamy, white suds.
     I felt trapped, as if I'd been immersed in a torrential rainstorm. Unable to see out the windows, I worried. What if the ceiling leaked? What if the windows and sunroof weren't completely closed?
     I thought about when we used to take our girls to the "simple" carwash when they were young. I'd tell them when the machine was ready to spread the soapy water over the windows, easing their fears.  But if that had been today, at this Auto Spa, they would have been terrified and crying. It even gave this adult mom the shivers.
     I counted the minutes as the Jeep inched along, and finally, the “storm” dissipated. A shower of clean, clear water rinsed the suds and grime away.  As the light of day approached, I sighed with relief, happy to be out of the dark tunnel.
     Although the visit to the Auto Spa wasn’t on my initial plan for the day, I had prayed about God’s guidance. The “storm” at the car wash was God’s way of reminding me to trust him in life’s storms. I needed to put the brakes on my stubborn insistence on controlling things on my own instead of letting God “take the wheel” to guide me.
     The next time I go to the Auto Spa, I’ll be prepared to take my foot off the break and my hands off the wheel. And the next time I go through life’s storms, I’ll let God take care of the controls!  
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com

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