Lessons from driving lessons.

I have received formal instruction in driving from two different instructors in my life, and both showed me very different approaches to instruction. Before I get started, let me provide a bit of background to why I needed training twice. First time, it was for my Class 3 driving course in NS. This was when I was utterly clueless about driving and the sum total of my driving experience was from Daytona arcade racing. The second time was for my civilian Class 3 driving license. By this time, I had acquired a fair bit of experience of driving on the public roads (thanks to NS) and also a number of bad habits.

Back to the point, I want to bring out the biggest and most distinct differences that I recall from both types of training. In the military training, I had an amazingly skilled instructor who made everything look easy but I always felt that I was always lagging behind. Also, I noticed that the instructor's side had a brake pedal that mirrored the one on my side. Later on, I realized that the purpose of that is to act as my back-up, in case I was to mess up while driving.

The latter and later training I had for my civilian license had no such safety 'feature' installed. In fact, during my first driving lesson with my civilian instructor, he pulled over as soon as he found out I knew how to drive...and switched seats with me. I found myself in the driver's seat, bad habits and all. A mere fifteen minutes into the lesson and already driving the car, that was memorable. I recall the first time I had to pull off the legendary 'half-clutch and hold at biting point' in his car. I revved the petrol-fueled engine extra hard, thinking it was a diesel Land Rover from the '70s. I managed to carry out the maneuver, albeit poorly and unskilfully. All he said was something to the effect of, "Okay, next time let's do that better."

And often times, we think that the Lord is like my first driving instructor, only keen to show me how good He is. Some of us would prefer that the Lord be like my second driving instructor, letting us take the steering wheel immediately.

Truth is, God is like both of them, or rather, He is even better than both of them put together.

#1: God is better than all the best instructors put together.
Need I say more? He is perfect. He really does know what He is doing.

#2: God is in charge...and yet He put you in the driver's seat.
We will mess up, yet He still puts us in the driver's seat. Isn't that more grace than we can ever ask for? He wants to share His glory with you, though He clearly doesn't need to. He's the one with all the 'mad skillz' but He wants to pass it on...to you. Let that sink in.

#3: He's got 'brakes' on His side too, in case you forget who's the Instructor.
Never too wise to get smart with the One who put you in the driver's seat. It is enough for the disciple to be like the master, and the son to be like the father. He is still God, and still in control.

#4: He knows your bad habits, yet He still wants to teach you.
My driving instructors were paid to instruct me. God sent Jesus to pay the price, so we could have a relationship with Him...because? He loves us and wants to be with us on this merry ride we call "Life". As if that was not enough, He wants us to be with Him forever in Eternal "Life".