Head’s Up

I can remember riding in the car with my Dad and being totally enamored with doing whatever I was doing at the moment— which by the way was always something. Back in the day, kids could sit in the front seat and it was quite a treat any time I got to sit next to Daddy in the big blue car. It never failed though. We’d be riding and some one would cut a corner too closely or come through a stop sign and Daddy would throw his arm across me like a human seatbelt and say, “heads up” just before he hit the breaks, abruptly adjusted his speed or changed his driving trajectory. When the danger was over, Daddy would return to speaking in calmer tones 😂 and would remove his arm-belt. Like nothing ever happened, I’d go back to playing with whatever I was playing with before the scene occurred.

For a moment though, Daddy’s “heads up,” would get my adrenalin flowing. Those two words meant I needed to stop what I was doing and pay attention quickly, and I would. I appreciated Daddy loving me enough to warn me that something was up ahead. And, because I blindly trusted him for everything, I was never worried that we’d have a wreck or that something even more tragic would happen. In my mind, his words and his armbelt were enough to keep me safe.

After all, Daddy was with me. Nothing on the outside— not a reckless driver, not a careless driver, not slippery hydroplaning tires, not a yellow light changing to red a little too soon, not an old lady crossing the street too slowly, not a speeding car barreling through a school zone—literally nothing on the outside of the car could hurt me because I was with Daddy on the inside. I had his word, and the security of his armbelt.

Today I was thinking that if I could trust my earthly father like that, how much more should I trust my heavenly Father? He too has given me his Word, and has secured my very life with the Holy Spirit. God’s armbelt has me locked in and I have no need to worry or to fear anything that’s on the outside. There’s no terror by night nor arrow by day that can harm me as long as I’m in the presence of my Abba Father.

Head’s up everybody! God is calling us to pay attention; but, fear not.

He is with us.

He has given us His Word.

His Holy Spirit secures us.

Selah.