Summary

The article discusses the challenges Dads face in relinquishing control, particularly in their relationship with God, and the potential for personal growth and fulfillment when they surrender control and follow God's plan.

Abstract

The article "Turning Over the Keys of Life" delves into the fear and discomfort many fathers experience when they are not in control, especially in the context of teaching their children to drive. It draws a parallel between this lack of control and the difficulty Dads have in surrendering to God's will. The article suggests that many Dads are skeptical of God's role in their lives, often limiting their spiritual engagement to occasional religious observances. However, the narrative of Gideon, a biblical figure chosen by God despite his perceived insignificance, serves as a powerful example of how God's plan can lead to unexpected achievements and peace. The article emphasizes that God has a purpose for everyone, including those who may feel ordinary or unimportant. It encourages Dads to listen to God through prayer and scripture, suggesting that by doing so, they can find true joy and peace, and experience a more meaningful life.

Opinions

Dads inherently desire control in all aspects of life, which makes it difficult for them to trust in God's plan.
The article posits that Dads often dismiss the significance of God in their lives, viewing religious observance as a secondary or inconsequential activity.
It is highlighted that Dads mistakenly attribute life's miraculous events to their own doing or luck, rather than considering divine intervention.
The story of Gideon is used to illustrate that God can choose and empower the 'least' and 'weakest' to achieve great things, challenging the notion that one must be in control to succeed.
The article suggests that Dads should actively seek to hear God's voice through prayer and engagement with scripture, which can lead to a richer and more joyful life.
It is implied that surrendering control to God is a significant shift for Dads, akin to letting someone else drive, but it can result in a more fulfilling and peaceful existence.
The author believes that whether or not Dads acknowledge God, He still has a specific plan for each individual, emphasizing God's constancy and purpose for every person.

Turning Over the Keys of Life

Dads’ Survival Guide: Proclaiming — Our Beliefs

Photo courtesy of Kindel Media on Unsplash

Nothing is more terrifying than teaching one’s 16-yr old to drive.

Terrifying is an understatement. Strapped into the passenger seat, powerless. No control over the vehicle, with a child at the wheel. It is an absolutely petrifying experience.

That’s just tooling around an empty parking lot. Getting out on the streets had me hyperventilating. Clawing my fingernails into the dash. And when he merged us onto speeding highway traffic, it took all I had not to soil myself.

Dads love control. In every situation. We want to be in command. Follow our own path. Choose for ourselves.

Letting someone else call the shots is awkward. Disorienting. Uncomfortable. Whether a novice 16-yr old. Our wife. The boss. Or anyone, for that matter.

This is the problem Dads have with God. Because following God means putting Him in charge. Which is awkward. Disorienting. Uncomfortable. Dads don’t want to follow God’s plan for our lives. We want to follow our own path. Be at the wheel. In control. At all times.

So, most Dads dismiss God. Don’t pay Him much heed. Beyond cursory visits to church or synagogue. On high holidays. When it’s convenient. For us.

There’s no room for God in our hectic lives. And besides, He’s wicked busy, too. Tending to all the troubles of a wicked world. God has no time for a nobody like me.

Ahhh. The common misunderstanding. By so many Dads. About who God is. What He’s about. And the purpose He has in mind for each of us. If we listen.

Our Plan

Dads don’t ask for help. We’re scrappy. Resourceful. Dogmatic. Finding ways to get ahead. Nose to the grindstone. Overcoming the odds. By ourselves.

Each of us hatched a plan for our life. Pursued our own road. And look at the results. Successful careers. Beautiful wife. Wonderful kids. Nice home. Plenty of friends. Fun times. What more could any Dad ask for?

Nothing, really. Our plan worked. Making each of us exceedingly joyful. Satisfied. Completely fulfilled. Content. And at peace.

No anxiety. Worry. Fears. Restlessness. Or feeling of emptiness. No broken relationships. Conflict. Or discord. No need to numb ourselves with drinking. Drugs. Porn. Or gambling.

Afterall, we’re in total control. Our plan is working. The exceptionally conceived, perfectly designed plan we crafted. By ourselves.

Hmmm.

Unexpected Plans

Gideon was like us. He had plans. Yet, God had something different in mind.

After settling the bountiful Promised Land of Canaan, Israel became an impoverished nation. Moses and Joshua had passed. And the people lost their way. Turning from the Lord. Disregarding His plan. Under constant attack by marauding Midianites, they were starving. Broken. Hopeless.

“Mighty warrior, I will be with you,” the Lord told the young Israelite Gideon, “And you will strike down the Midianites.”

Gideon was a nobody. A farm hand. “How can I save Israel?” he asked. “My clan is the weakest in [the Jewish tribe of] Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

Skeptical, Gideon insisted on tangible signs. First, cover a fleece with dew and keep the ground dry. Then, keep a fleece dry and cover the ground with dew. When God delivered on both, Gideon figured it was time to listen.

God’s plan for Gideon was ambitious. Defeat the enemy armies camped in a local valley. Over a hundred thousand strong. With the Israelite troops of only thirty thousand. No, ten thousand. Ahhh…too many. “By the 300 men,” the Lord told Gideon,” I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand.”

Impossible, right? Impossible for man. But nothing’s impossible for God. Sure enough, the Israelites defeated their foes. And Gideon led the nation through forty years of peace and prosperity.

Gideon’s plan was to work his family farm. God had a greater purpose in mind.

The Lord has a history of raising heroes from the ‘least’ and the ‘weakest’. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers before running Egypt. Moses was abandoned in the Nile, then delivered his countrymen from Pharoah. As the youngest and smallest of eight, David defeated Goliath. And became Israel’s king. Mary was a small-town Jewish girl from nowhere, chosen to give birth to Christ.

God can use a ‘nobody’. Or anybody. For His noble purpose. Including all of us. If we listen.

A Big Ask

There’s a joke about a NYC couple buying their dream apartment. They’re running late for the building’s Board interview. Circling the block, they can’t find parking. The wife suggests they pray. ”I’m not bothering God with a parking request,” the husband snaps.

Round and round, they go. With time running out, the husband relents. “Please Lord, in your infinite will and power, open a spot for us.” Immediately, a car pulls out. Right in front of the building. While his wife celebrates, the husband shouts, “Cancel that Lord, I found one myself.”

Yep. That’s us. Typical Dad. Certain anything miraculous in our lives is our own doing. Random chance meetings. Clients from thin air. Health scares averted. Inexplicable breaks for the kids. Opportune parking spots. We chalk all of these up to the brilliance of our plan. Good fortune. Fate. Karma. A favorite pair of socks. Anything, except God.

Our scientifically-provable, logically-explainable mindset leaves little room for the supernatural. The hand of the Lord. In our day-to-day. And ceding control to Him is a big ask. For any Dad. Turning over the keys. By faith. Without a Gideon-style fleece test. To prove He’s real.

Yet, whether we dismiss God or not doesn’t matter. God is still God. The same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And He has a purpose for each of us. A specifically designed plan. If we listen.

Hearing God starts with time in prayer. And reading His Word. Scripture. Getting to know Him. Through biblical stories. About Gideon. Moses. David. Christ. Peter and Paul. These aren’t just fables. About ancient men in ancient times. These are illustrations. About God. His nature. The Lord’s infinite power. And infinite capacity to forgive.

With so many Dads feeling worn down by the chaos and randomness of this world, perhaps it’s time to consider an alternative. To our plan. And let God do the driving. Giving us a chance to relax. And enjoy the ride.

With God at the wheel, any Dad can experience a new level of richness and meaning to life. True joy. And lasting peace. Isn’t that worth a listen?

Go, Dads. Go.