A Nervous Wreck

I’ve had sixteen years to prepare for this day and I still wasn’t ready.

Today was the day my firstborn took her driver’s test.

Sixteen years ago this day seemed so distant.

She was a little over a week old and spending a lot of time in my arms.

That was life 5,844 days ago.

There was no thought of her behind the wheel of a car.

There were only thoughts of making sure I got her buckled up in the car seat correctly.

I did.

After all, she did make it to today.

Ah, yes, today.

A day much different than that day sixteen years ago.

Today we got up and got around so we could be at the driver’s testing site when it opened.

After parking the car, I got out and made sure everything was in proper working order.

Headlights.

High Beams.

Turn Signals.

Hazard Lights.

All good.

It was now time to do what it seemed like we shouldn’t be doing yet.

Before taking the walk, however, I said to her “let’s have a talk with God.”

So there in the parking lot I placed my hand on her, bowed my head, and prayed.

I thanked the Lord for sixteen years and then asked Him for focus and favor, among other things.

After the amen things got real.

We opened the door to enter the building and found that more than one other sixteen year old wanted to be there when it opened.

My daughter checked in and then we began to wait. Daddy. Daughter. Mommy.

I passed the time talking with a friend of my brothers that I hadn’t seen in probably twenty years. He was there with his grandson.

One by one, the sixteen year olds left to take the test and one by one they returned with smiles that told the story. Miles of freedom were now theirs for the taking.

Then, came my daughter’s moment. The door opened and the examiner called her name. With that, she was out the door to open the door to the car and drive away.

Daddy and mommy went from sitting to standing to pacing. I guess you could say we were a nervous wreck.

An older lady noticed and said, “she is going to be okay”. Apparently, that wasn’t the only thing she had noticed. She continued, “you prayed with her out in the parking lot, didn’t you?”

“I did”, I gently replied.

“He’s going to take care of her”, she declared.

With that reassurance the waiting became easier.

Of course, the Lord was going to take care of her.

It’s what He was doing 5,844 days ago and what He has been doing every day between then and now.

I wasn’t ready for this day but the Lord was.

This day seemed distant to me but not to Him.

Sixteen years ago my daughter was spending a lot of time in my arms but there has never been a time when she wasn’t in the Lord’s arms.

There never will be.

Today, tomorrow, and to the very end of the road the Lord will hold her fast in a life that goes by too fast for this daddy.

Not long after the older lady reminded me of God’s care for my daughter my daughter returned with a smile that told the story. Miles of freedom was now hers for the taking.

After debriefing with the examiner, we turned to leave and as we did I gave the older lady a thumbs up to let her know my daughter passed and for reminding me that I didn’t need to be a nervous wreck.