I have been driving for over 30 years now but I can still remember my
first time behind the wheel like it was yesterday. My Mom had driven our
big, blue Plymouth to a narrow, deserted back road and parked it. The
road was only one lane and had a wall built with old, river rocks along
the side of it, but Mom knew there was little chance of meeting any
traffic on it that day.
With a smile she gave me the keys and
switched seats with me. Then she told me to start the car, put it into
drive, and gently push on the gas pedal. In my excitement, though, I
miscalculated what gently meant. I pushed on the gas hard, the car sped
forward, and before I could turn the wheel I heard the scraping of metal
against the stone wall. I stopped the car and looked over at my Mom. Her
face was pale and her hands were trembling. Slowly she opened her door
and looked at the scratched paint along the side of the car. Then she
walked quietly around the car to the driver's side door. I kept waiting
for her to yell at me but she just sighed and said, "Well,that's enough
for today. We’ll try again tomorrow."
As I look back on that
day I am amazed at the amount of kindness and patience my Mom showed me
then. I had terrified her, damaged her car, and probably added a
thousand gray hairs to her head, yet she forgave me and continued to
teach me how to drive. She gave me a wonderful example that day of the
love and forgiveness that God has for us all.
In the years that
followed I messed up many times in many ways. Often I didn’t feel
worthy to be forgiven, but each time I could feel our Heavenly Father's
love around me and could hear my Mom's gentle voice from Heaven saying,
"We'll try again tomorrow."
When you stumble and fall today then
don't stay down. Rise up and remember that God loves you. Rise up and
share your own love once more. Rise up ready to try again tomorrow.