Letting God Drive - Guest Post by Leanne Svendsen

Today's post was written by Leanne. She wrote it for an essay for a college course, but it ties in so beautifully with the theme of this blog that I requested that she allow me to use it for my blog. 

            What are the biggest milestones in a young person’s life to becoming mature and independent? A thirteenth birthday? Sweet sixteen? Perhaps becoming an adult legally or being allowed to drink. Although there are many small stepping-stones to becoming more autonomous and mature, I believe that receiving a driver’s license is one of the main steps because of the freedom and trust it relies on. For many young drivers, receiving the ‘Novice Driver’s License’ represents the start of their control over their life. For me, receiving my ‘N’ showed me that I am wholly dependent on God and that He is in control despite my circumstances. It began the week of January 15, 2013 with a trip to the University of British Columbia.

            My mom has suffered with constant migraines since 2011. The doctors have tried many pills and scans but have not been able to find anything. So, on January 15, 2013, they sent her to Dr. Spacey, a neurologist at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Since my mom has had her headaches, she has avoided driving because the lights and pain would cause her to close her eyes. I had my Learner’s license at that time and was allowed to drive with an adult. My mother allowed me to skip school that Tuesday so that I could chauffer her to her destination while I practiced for my upcoming driver’s test.

            My mother’s appointment at UBC was quick and painful. She had thirty injections of Botox in her scalp in less than five minutes (Union Health). The surrounding areas would swell to the size of a quarter before reducing. My mom said the pain seemed as bad as childbirth. We asked God to make the Botox work.

            The next day, my mom had a particularly bad migraine that caused her to stay home from work again. I could not yet drive by myself so my brother had to drop me off and pick me up from school. I went home around noon because I was feeling ill and that day and the next I had a high fever of around 103 degrees Fahrenheit. When I become ill, I will often have a week-long fever ranging from 102-103°F and sometimes spiking to 104°F. By Thursday I was becoming concerned because I was to take my driver’s test the next day at 9:00 and not only was I sick, but I had no one to drive me to the testing centre because my mom’s headache incapacitated her and my dad was at work. I did not want to skip the test because it would take almost three months to rebook it and there was a twenty-five dollar fee for cancelling the test without a forty-eight hours’ notice. I had no control over the situation. I could only pray and trust that God was in control.

            As the morning of my driving test arrived, I realized that God had done a miracle. Not only had my fever disappeared, but I felt well enough to drive and one of the ladies from our church had offered to take me to my test! God was clearly in control of the situation. How could I fail my test now?

            As I arrived at the testing centre, my confidence started deteriorating. Getting my ‘N’ was a big deal for me and I didn’t want to blow my God-given chance. I remember walking into the testing center and up to the counter. I was asked for several pieces of ID and I swiftly handed them over. My tester walked out of the office, calm and cool. It seemed to me that she had my very life in her hands. We got into the car and I followed her instructions through the streets of Maple Ridge. I was thrilled whenever I noticed a school sign or playground zone, but fear swelled in my heart as I would hear or see her write down notes into my grading book. She watched my hands, eyes, and head movements and carefully evaluated all that I did. Soon the half-hour passed and we drove back to the testing center. Relief, fear, and tension flooded my mind. Was it worth all the trouble?  Did I pass?  Trusting in God eliminated some of the fear. I would pass if He wanted me to. Even with that comforting thought, I burned to know. I listened intently as the words poured out of her mouth like syrup: “I can choose to either fail you or let you pass and learn,” she said. My heart stopped. I was so close to receiving the status of ‘Novice Driver’, but it depended solely on her mercy and God’s intervention. “I have decided to pass you.” My heart cried in relief and praise to God! Breath, sweet, merciful breath filled my lungs as I listened to her. She told me that although I had committed very few errors while driving, I consistently ignored the shoulder-check on a right hand turn. Thankfully, she understood that my mistake was out of a lack of knowledge rather than a poor habit.  I could pass as long as I remembered to shoulder-check hence-forth.

            My elation was great! God had not only removed my high fever, but he had allowed me to pass in a situation where I could have easily been failed. He took my circumstances and flipped them on their head, presenting His supremacy over all things. But I had yet one more lesson to learn from becoming a Novice Driver. This had to do with my mom and God’s timing.

            As I returned home, my fever returned. I was sick for the entire next week, only becoming well again during exams. That week, I took care of my mom. Her migraines were so severe she could not even get out of bed and my company allowed me to take care of the dogs and bring her lunch. After receiving Botox, mom’s headaches worsened and she went on medical leave. Botox has a side effect of setting off a migraine, but since she had one all the time, it just made her headaches worse. Yet even in this, God showed us His control. My Novice License allowed me to drive on my own. I could go to school, practices, church events, and visit my friends without needing to bother either my busy dad or sick mom. God took care of my parents by taking care of me. I got my license within a fortnight of my mom going on medical leave. God was watching out for us.

The independence that I experienced as a result of receiving my ‘N’ was not a symbol of my independence or autonomy. Rather, the ‘achieving’ of my driver’s licence was the confirmation of God’s power, sovereignty, and control in my life. It showed me that I am indeed dependant on the One who made me. Whenever I take the driver’s wheel by myself, I am witnessing that God alone controls the driver’s wheel in my life. If I try on my own, I will fail, but if I allow God to lead me, He will steer me to safety as He looks at the road ahead.