Ugh! Winter is coming… and year after year, I enjoy the ice and snow less and less. When I was younger, it never bothered me – I felt perfectly safe riding through a blizzard alongside my dad, who seemed fearless and comfortable piercing through the hypnotic falling snow. He would occasionally admit that a certain amount of fear is a good thing, as it keeps you from becoming too comfortable, thereby taking unnecessary risks. I really don’t have a problem driving in the snow – Lord knows I get my fair share of it. But if you’ve been out there for a while, you’d surely agree that the roads are becoming increasingly populated, and an increased number of inexperienced drivers and icy conditions are resulting in more accidents. Carrie Underwood has a song called “Jesus, Take the Wheel” which described the concept of asking Jesus to take control when we realize we are not in control. In this poem, I imagine a rough trip, heading over an icy mountain pass, and turning to Jesus for protection. I further imagine the comfort of riding with dad again, and entertain the concept of Jesus allowing dad to take the wheel once more. Thanks to Alicja Zuber for submitting this picture into our recent photo contest. One of her other pics won 3rd Place (a snow shot), but this one of an icy Saskatchewan sunset was pretty good, too!
STEADY HANDS
By Trevor Hardwick
Summer’s gone, the fall has hit me,
Winter’s just around the bend.
Autumn leaves are falling gently,
This time of year is not my friend.
I still hear the highway calling,
The temperature is dropping fast.
Up ahead the rain keeps falling,
Freezing rain up on the pass.
I recall the steady hands,
Of my old man upon the wheel.
Nasty weather stood no chance,
He just rolled with nerves of steel.
I would sit there ridin’ shotgun,
Watching how he’d concentrate.
It’s something I have not forgotten,
I just try to emulate.
I’ve been rolling 20 years now,
Pushing wind and polished steel.
I have wished that someway, somehow,
Jesus, You would take the wheel.
You hold everything together,
Not my will, but Yours be done.
On this night of nasty weather,
I praise You, Father, Spirit, Son.
If You would, Lord, entertain me,
Comfort me with how it feels.
Just this once, please let me see,
My daddy’s hands upon the wheel.
I know that You are in control,
I know that there is none like You.
But I know how my daddy rolled,
And I’m just tryin’ to fill his shoes.
The wipers fight the freezing rain,
Lord please meet me where I am.
Take this wheel from me again,
And give it back to my ol’ man.