Driving in tandem with John to both pick up and return the Tesla last week was an escapade. Because his phone is of retirement age, he used the directions on mine, which meant I had none of my own. It was imperative that I keep my eyes on his car. Which diluted my capacity to keep eyes on the road signs. 

It is an exercise in trust to follow when you have no bearings, no sense of whether to turn or go straight. In other words, a metaphor for life. 

When we pulled to the curb of the address, I recognized that it did not match my preconception. I had not realized that I even had one. But since we were renting a high-end car from a private individual, whom the app described as a doctor, I assumed the neighborhood would be one of expensive homes. These had no yards, and the unit air conditioners hung askew. I guess renting out his Tesla is how he makes ends meet. 

When we were in our own car, having parked the rental on the street, John navigated. This format, too, is an opportunity for bonding. Or not. I noticed a steady flow of opinions about how quickly or accurately John relayed the visual information on the phone. 

There were some missed cues. 

The funny thing is, this week it would be easy to return to that spot. Having been there twice, the route is less confusing. Which has sometimes been the case in marriage, and parenting. Our third toddler's tendency to throw tantrums did not also throw me. 

Yet it seems there is an underlying tactic at play. Perhaps God also presents us with novel situations so that we cannot rely on the familiar, but must soften ourselves enough to simply follow. 

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16