Sometimes the Backseat is the Best Seat in the Car

Recently I sat outside my son's school waiting for him to finish basketball practice. As I sat and waited I had a few minutes to watch the kids depart from the fair grounds of academia. There were kids who carpooled with each other, and there were kids who had not yet arrived at the threshold of
Independence that driving brings. This group of kids still depended upon either their parents or as the kids call it
"The Cheese Wagon" for their ride home.

As I sat and watched the interactions between kids and adults occur there was one that really caught my eye.
A car pulls up, a few seconds later a young girl quickly flees from the door of the school and runs toward the front
seat of the car.

Just when I think all the action has
dissipated a boy comes running after
her. On my first observation I thought they were hurrying off to an appointment. After a few minutes
I realized what all the scurrying was for.

It was a race for the front seat, the
prized position of riding "shotgun."
You see, the young man had lost the race, his sister had beat him to the prized position that he coveted.

At this point I had rolled down my window so that I could give witness to the discussion that occurred between
the battling siblings. I could hear the young girl saying, " I got here first,
losers take the back seat." His response was muffled, I'm sure he was feeling slightly defeated as he trudged toward the back seat of the car and took a seat besides the family dog.

As I watched their departure another
intriging thought came to mind. How
often do we find ourselves in what we
believe is the spiritual "backseat"feeling defeated and
wholeheartedly believing that some
how we have lost the race to those opposing opponents of life. Our faith may be a little shaken and our spirits are down a pint or two.

These are the times that our Lord and Savior has positioned us in a quiet place and tells us to reflect on his word and his magnificent ability to comfort and support us in our times of riding in the backseat.

Those "backseat" periods in our lives are God's way of encouraging us and allowing us to know that in our distress we can call upon Him for help and from His temple he will hear our voice
and our cries will come before him into
His ears. (Paraphrased from Psalm
18:6).
So remember, the next time that you are riding in the back seat that God is sitting right besides you, so relax and focus on the destination, and then rejoice in your arrival!