In My Lane

The minivan life is now for me. With four children and a watchful eye on virtual yard sales at all times, my silver van is the best vehicle I could have in this season. I love it! And I love the conversations that unfold in it from little women in the backseat who feel more comfortable asking hard questions when they do not have to stare me in the eye across the table. The van is a wonderful place.

Sunday, my second daughter was staring through her window as I merged onto the interstate. She startled and yelled, “We are going backwards! Mama, why are you driving backwards?!”

I laughed and assured her I was going 65 miles per hour in the right direction but the truck beside me was going much faster, trying to give me more space to get on the road. The speed of this huge truck moving forward made it look like, from the side angle, we were moving backwards.

With a grin, I asked her, “Sweet girl, look ahead through the front window in the direction we are going. Does it still look like we are going backwards?”

She leaned over and searched the windshield. A little relieving laughter followed and she said she knew we were going the right way now.

Being the way the I am… I pressed in a little further and said, “This is a good lesson, girls. This happens in other areas of life as well. When you are doing something you love or working hard to learn something new, it is very tempting to look to your side and see what other people are doing. Sometimes, I can get distracted looking at others doing the same work I do and feel like I’m going backwards while they speed ahead. We will feel better and remember we are making our own progress best when we keep our eyes fixed ahead of us. We look where we want to go, not to the side.”

My verbally inquisitive daughter simply chirped, “Okay!” and moved on to staring at the next wonder out her window. Another daughter, who I wasn’t sure was listening at all, made a serious face with a gentle nod but said nothing. I pray she got the point.

We are all learning and growing at different paces. Motherhood has certainly taught me that with a fresh perspective from the parents’ eyes. The Lord must look on His children with wonder at our growth and compassion for our struggles while truly not comparing us to one another.

This sweet lesson caught me again this morning as I studied the Word.

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.”

-1 Corinthians 7:17, ESV

Since my van ride to church Sunday, I had forgotten the lesson I reviewed with the girls. It does not take much time on social media or back in the workplace to lend a person to comparison. It is easy to find oneself asking, “Why can’t I get ahead? How did I end up so far behind others?” instead of keeping our eyes on our own goals or purposes in this life.

Who assigned me the life I have? Who called me to the work at my hands? Who leads me to write or quilt or mother or love my husband or provide nursing care?

That is the question I should be asking. It has already been answered. It is the Lord my God.

In times of discouragement, take courage! I am reminded this morning to fix my eyes on the goal, without looking to the right or the left. My goal is Christ, who I already have, and fixing my eyes on Him eternally will define my callings in this life.

In the Love of Christ,

Hannah