Sustaining Power

My oldest daughter has her driver’s permit. 

Though I use winter as an excuse to avoid letting her drive, my husband decided it was a fine time to let her drive to the city two hours away. High speeds, passing lanes, interstate on ramps, and semi trucks were included.

Let me tell you, friends, my what ifs were not wonderful that day. I stayed home, but I envisioned all sorts of disaster. I prayed too. 

Text to my husband: Let me know when you get there so I can stop sweating bullets.

Text from my husband: Everything is going great.

I remembered the day she was born and how he held her up to the window of the nursery so I could see her as the nurses wheeled me past. It was the happiest moment of our lives to that point.

Despite my obsessive worry, they had a wonderful day with a cherry sundae on top. Nothing went wrong. 

Later, she cheerfully walked in the door, hung up her purse, and told me she felt much more confident behind the wheel. She also confessed that as she passed a wide-load semi, my husband told her, “Mama would have jumped in your lap.” Good thing he is the calm voice of reason.

We are proud of the young adult our daughter has become. I remember, when I was pregnant with her, I realized that there was no way for me to make her have ten fingers or ten toes. I couldn’t make her heart beat or her organs form correctly. Only the Creator could do that. 

As she took her first steps, I knew that I would never be able to prevent all the falls, bumps, and bruises. The same One who made her had to be trusted to sustain her.

Now that she is taking her first steps out into independence, I must learn the lesson over again. I must trust the Lord because the burden of creating and of sustaining His creation is on His shoulders, not mine.

That also takes a lot of pressure off when accidents do happen, sickness does occur, or death does claim our loved ones. The burden of sustaining has always been in His capable, loving, powerful hands, and we can trust Him with it.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews said, “[Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.”

His word upholds the entire universe. 

Occasionally, when I have to fly somewhere, I get a little nervous as the plane takes off. It is suspended in air. But then, I remember that the whole planet earth is suspended in air, hovering on the Word of His Power. 

He has Sustaining Power, and I do not. Whenever that results in fear, the Holy Spirit reminds me to choose faith instead. Faith is a lighter burden I can carry as He sustains me.