Collision with God
21 “His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.* ’22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” Luke 15:21-24 (NLT)
One I Can’t Remember
When I was in the Sixth Grade, my mom drove my sister, Jennifer, and our friend, Lacey, home from a softball game. I remember getting in the backseat of the car by myself, as Jennifer and Lacey sat in the front with my mom. Jennifer got the front seat because it was “her day.” My sisters and I always fought over the front seat, so our mom made up the “it’s your day” for the front seat. We had a white 1985 Bonneville. It was the first car I remember us having as a family that was brand new. As I sat in the backseat while my mom drove us home, something happened. A bus pulled out in front of our white Bonneville and we collided with it. I still to this day do not remember colliding with the bus. What I do remember was the aftermath and total chaos and disorder. I saw a car on fire, people I didn’t know trying to take care of us all, and I panicked.
Lost
When I read Luke chapter 15, it really strikes home for me. This chapter is about a father and two sons. The father divided property between the two sons. The younger son asked for his part and went to experience his life away from home. He didn’t use his money wisely and squandered it all. After living in uncomfortable circumstances, he returned home to his father. As the father sees his son off in the distance, he is heartbroken by what he sees. The son expresses how sinful he is, how unworthy his is, and begs to be his servant. What does the father do? He throws a party! He’s celebrating because his son had a collision with God.
One I Can Remember
While I might not remember the physical collision with the bus and our 1985 Bonneville, I definitely remember my head-on collision with God in September of 2014. I learned so much about trusting, having faith, giving up control, finding joy in all circumstances, and looking at bumps, road blocks, and at a “no” or not yet differently. However, I didn’t let my son’s fate be sealed on what any doctor said. I gave God control and I prayed. Giving God the control over all my stuff has allowed me the opportunity to be who God created me to be. So there is no longer a need for the panic button. We have to put the time in to pray and train our brains to not go there.
Don’t Waste It
I definitely have not wasted my collision. I have let it pour over to other parts of my life where I felt the need to control. So when you are on a collision course and have a collision with God, don’t waste it. Listen and learn while in your collision. Be quiet! Be still! There is a purpose and you absolutely do not want to miss it. When you do, the aftermath will not be full of chaos and panic, but of peace, faith, and hope.
Counting My Blessings,
Susan Browder
Additional Blog Post: by Freda Reynolds
