When I was a young teenager and beginning college, I found myself in need of a vehicle.  Until that moment, I was expected to borrow my parent’s vehicle for quick journeys to where I needed to go. I never owned my own vehicle, but thankfully, my earthly father and mother loaned me their vehicle for those day-to-day journeys.
Even so, I was never given my own set of keys, so I was expected to ask permission and then borrow the keys for the loan of their vehicle, but still, I could not be gone too long because I WAS DRIVING THE FAMILY CAR, the one used by others (you know, The Whole Family).
To be honest, my boyfriend & husband-to-be followed the same rules when he was sixteen, but the difference……he had his own set of keys (for his mom’s car and for his dad’s pickup truck).

****I must admit that I was quite envious back then about the whole key issue.

Earlier this morning, after talking with my daughter and then looking back on her life in comparison to my life with my parents, I wonder—-Borrowing the family vehicle; Owning a vehicle; or Being Loaned a vehicle to Drive—-Which decision was the correct one?

To be sure—Buying your child her own car—–Maybe that is the correct parent decision?
But, then there’s—Loaning the family vehicle to your child (while retaining ownership), so the child can borrow the vehicle to drive—–Could that have been the correct parent decision?
TRULY, Whether we BORROWED, OWNED , OR WERE LOANED a vehicle when we were young or when raising our own children, let’s pause for a moment to remember the “way” we prepared to drive our chosen vehicle.

Let us see ourselves sitting in the vehicle, preparing to drive to a set destination.  Maybe we can close our eyes and see a green Ford Pinto wagon OR a dingy-blue Datsun wagon, OR a tan-colored two-door Volkswagon that had a working heater while you drove, OR a brand new Dodge Aspen purchased by our parents at 18% interest, OR even a white, column-shifting Ford pickup.  Yes, see ourselves sitting in the vehicle from our past, preparing to “run to the community grocery store (because in the late 70s, Dollar Stores did not exist).

Whether the vehicle was borrowed, owned, or loaned, adjustments needed to be made anytime we moved our vehicle. 
First—-We buckled up our seatbelts—maybe (because in the late 70s, our dads may have “unhooked” the seatbelt wire that dinged whenever we opened the door). Yet, if still connected, we still buckled that “lap-seatbelt only” that first existed….way back when we were young & way back before the shoulder harness was installed into our vehicles.
Then—-We sometimes drove distracted (not with a cell phone but with a can of soda), so we needed a place to put our can of soda (because in the late 70s, cupholders in the center console did not exist in the majority of vehicles).  We positioned our handy cup holder on the inside door panel and positioned our soda in the plastic cup holder, easily accessible to us as we drove to our destination.
Next—-We prepared the inside temperature for comfortable driving, and so we opened the wing windows just right to place a summer breeze on our faces (because in the late 70s, air conditioning was obtained by opening the window). We then drove with our back slightly straight—avoiding the sweaty back that came when we sat back against the vinyl seat.
Then—-We checked our rearview mirror, turning it slightly down to provide a good view, & we checked the left door mirror, for the same reason.  If the mirror needed an adjustment, we cranked down our window with our window handle and manually adjusted our left mirror (because in the late 70s, electric windows and electric mirrors were an extra cost on a vehicle).
Finally—-We adjusted the seat, pushed in the clutch, made sure the vehicle was in neutral, and turned over the key (because in the late 70s, an automatic transmission was an additional cost to a vehicle).
Now, we were ready to drive a few minutes drive to the community grocery store.

Our lives are so much like those quick journeys we drove.  Really, our years, days, and moments are just like those quick drives because our lives—despite our age—are vapors of time.
Think for a moment about that single thought. Let us consider our current age, and let us look into our life rearview mirror to see the “life-journey” we have already traveled.
The psalmist David wrote God-inspired words recorded within the Bible to provide us life instruction and direction. These words are often read aloud at a person’s celebration of life (their funeral); however these words resonate with truth as we read them aloud today within our celebration of life (our TODAY).

“The LORD is my shepherd. 
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake”   (Psalm 23: 1-3).

Buckled-Up—The only way we can be 100% secure while driving through this one, brief life we have been given IS TO CHOOSE TO BE BUCKLED INTO OUR SEAT, SECURE THROUGH GOD’S GIFT OF SALVATION.  May we NEVER desire to “unhook” and drive apart from God because “The LORD is [our] Shepherd” (1).
Drive Undistracted—The only way we can be 100% undistracted while driving through this one, brief life we have been given IS TO CHOOSE TO DRINK FROM THE LIVING WATER OF GOD, THE WATER THAT QUIETS OUR SOUL.  May we always desire to follow Jesus who “leads [us] beside quiet waters” (2).
Cooled By the Breeze—The only way we can be 100% comforted while driving through this one, brief life we have been given IS TO CHOOSE TO ABSORB THE HOLY SPIRIT’S LEADING AS HE LEADS OUR LIVES AND GUIDES OUR DAYS.  May we always desire to follow Jesus as “He makes [us] to lie down in green pastures;” (2).
Protected By Our Re-Positioned Rearview Mirror—-The only way we can be 100% re-positioned while driving through this one, brief life we have been given IS TO CHOOSE TO ALLOW GOD TO LEAD US FORWARD, EVEN WHILE HE PROTECTS US ON EVERY SIDE.  May we always desire to allow Jesus to “restore [our] souls”  &  “guide [our] paths” (3).
Clutched & Driven—The only way we can be 100% in God’s control when driving (our body, our living vessel) through this one, brief life we have been given IS TO CHOOSE TO GIVE OUR HEART TO JESUS. May we forevermore allow Jesus to “guide [our] paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (3).

• Truly….Our lives are BORROWED from God for a mere moment, a vapor.
• Truly….Our lives are OWNED by the most Holy God.
• Truly….Our lives are LOANED to us for a span of a few years.

May we today remember the ONLY ONE GOD, WHO OWNS & WHO GAVE us eternal life.
May we praise God for His peace, for His sweet, living water, for His restoring of our souls, for His robe of righteousness, and for His Holy Name of Christ we can so freely attach to ours as a Christian.
Yes, truly. May we be so thankful to God, our Father, Who provides us a most beautiful vehicle to drive through life.