MY FATHER TAUGHT US ALL HOW TO DRIVE A STICK SHIFT WHEN WE WERE LEARNING TO DRIVE. A STICK SHIFT YOU ASK? WELL WE KIND-A DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE BECAUSE HE WAS A CADILAC MAN AND NO ONE WAS GOING TO LEARN TO DRIVE NOR TAKE THE DRIVERS TEST IN HIS CADILlAC LOL. WE WERE GOING TO LEARN THROUGH HIS PATIENCE AND TEACHING TECHNIQUE BUT IN OUR MOTHER’S CAR… IS HOW THAT DEAL WAS.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK ME OUT. IT WAS NERVE WRECKING. I COULD NOT GET THE COORDINATION TOGETHER WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL WHICH IS THE EXTRA PEDAL OUTSIDE OF THE GAS PEDAL AND BREAK PEDAL. THE CAR KEPT JERKING AND EVEN CUT OFF ON ME A COUPLE OF TIMES. AND WHEN I THOUGHT I FINALLY HAD IT, I WOULD HEAR THIS ANNOYING ENGINE STALLING/STRAINING SOUND BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO STAY IN A GEAR THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF BECAUSE OF ACCELERATION. EVERY TIME I ACCELERATED, IT CALLED FOR ME TO SHIFT TO THE NEXT GEAR UP.
I QUICKLY LEARNED THAT DRIVING A STICK SHIFT REQUIRED ME TO PUT MORE WORK INTO DRIVING LIKE LISTENING TO THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, UNDERSTANDING TIMING AND COORDINATION AND STAYING ALERT. WHEN YOU ARE SHIFTING INTO A NEW GEAR YOUR CLUTCH PEDAL MUST BE DOWN WHILE YOU ARE MOVING THE STICK AND YOU MUST INCLUDE THE BREAK PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL DURING THAT TIME IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY MAKE THE SHIFT. IF YOU DO NOT GET THE COORDINATION EXACTLY RIGHT THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THE CAR IS ON A QUIET SIDE STREET WITH NO TRAFFIC OR IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET WITH MULTIPLE CARS AROUND. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.
DRIVING AN AUTOMATIC HARDLY REQUIRES ANY WORK WITHOUT ANY COORDINATION AND ONLY HAS THE TWO PEDALS (GAS AND BRAKE). WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THE GEARS SHIFT AND ACCELERATE AUTOMACTICALLY AS YOU PUSH ON THE GAS PEDAL. AGAIN…WITH NO COORDINATION AND VERY LITTLE EFFORT ON OUR PART.
DRIVING A STICK SHIFT CAN BE A LOT LIKE THE TIMES OF GOD’S ORDAINED SHIFTING IN OUR LIVES. WHEN GOD IS SHIFTING US IT REQUIRES FAITH FOLLOWED BY AN ACTION. THE BIBLE SAYS FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. IN OTHER WORDS WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART PRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL, MOVING THE STICK TO THE NEXT GEAR, AND PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL ALL IN COORDINATION. IF YOU ARE NEW IN THE LORD, YOU MAY HAVE TIMES YOU WILL JERK STRUGGLING TO COORDINATE AND DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY THAT. START OVER…KEEP GOING. DON’T GET STUCK AND STALLED IN A GEAR YOU SHOULD HAVE MOVED ON FROM. ONE THING ABOUT A STICK SHIFT, JUST LIKE WHEN I WAS LEARNING TO DRIVE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR AND FEEL WHEN YOU ARE IN THE WRONG GEAR UNLIKE AN AUTOMATIC.
SO MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE I HAVE PRESSED THE GAS EXPECTING TO JUST GO AUTOMATICALLY TO THE NEXT LEVEL BUT I FOUND OUT EVERYTIME….IT DIDN’T WORK THAT WAY. I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES THIS CAUSED ME TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AND IN OTHER TIMES I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW LOUD MY ENGINE WAS STALLING PLACING MYSLELF AND THOSE CONNECTED TO ME IN DANGER. I FOUND OUT EVENTUALLY THAT IF I WAS CLAIMING THE NAME OF CHRIST LIVING BY FAITH, I NEEDED TO BE IN TUNE WITH GOD. I COULDN’T AUTOMATICALLY DO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS BEST OF MY OWN WILL. I HAD TO LISTEN TO HIS INSTRUCTION AND COORDINATE WITH HIM AND HIS SON JESUS BY THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE NEXT SHIFT.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THAT VEHICLE WHO RUNS ON AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOING THINGS YOUR OWN WAY? OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE VEHICLE THAT RUNS STICK SHIFT MODE WAITING AND LISTENING FOR TIMING AND INSTRUCTION FROM THE LORD AND THEN COORDINATING AND PUTTING YOUR FAITH TO WORK ACCORDING TO THAT INSTRUCTION.
GOD IS SHIFTING US. IT MAY BE TIME FOR YOU TO ACCELERATE TO THE NEXT GEAR NOW. OR…YOU MAY BE AT A TURN AND IT MAY BE TIME TO SHIFT DOWN INTO 2ND GEAR IN ORDER TO SAFELY MAKE YOUR TURN AND THEN ACCELERATE. OR…YOU MAY BE AT A STAND STILL AND IT MAY BE TIME TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL UNTIL HE INSTRUCTS YOU TO MOVE FORWARD AND ACCELERATE. NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE THE BOTTOM LINE IS TO SHIFT AND ACCELERATE. WE GO FROM GLORY TO GLORY, WE LIVE FAITH TO FAITH.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY IN YOUR LANE…GET IN TUNE… LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY….. AND SHIFT WHEN AND HOW GOD SAYS SHIFT.
PRAYER: FATHER I GIVE YOU ALL THE HONOR AND ALL OF THE GLORY. I LIFT AND MAGNIFY YOU TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THE VEHICLE AS IN THE LIFE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TO LIVE. HELP ME TO STEWARD THIS LIFE WELL. NO LONGER WILL I LIVE LIKE AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOING THINGS MY OWN WAY. HELP ME TO BE LIKE THE STICK SHIFT DEPENDING ON YOU COORDINATING WITH YOUR SON JESUS AND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD ME IN THIS NEXT SHIFT. I PRAY FOR CLEAR INSTRUCTION AND DIRECTION. I TRUST YOU AND I WILL PUT MY FAITH TO WORK WITH YOUR WILL FOR MY LIFE. IN YOUR MIGHTY NAME. AMEN.
SCRIPTURES:
John 5:30 (AMP)
30 “I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Romans 1:17King James Version (KJV)
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Luke 6:46-48 (AMP)
46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not practice what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like:
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