The grass finally grew enough that the yard needed a trim, so I got out our John Deere riding lawn mower and made a few swipes around the yard to clean the place up. “Yep, that looks pretty good.”
As I washed up the mower before putting it away, Elaina, my 11-year-old, came around the corner. “Oooh… can I drive it around the yard? “
“Sure,” I said, so as quickly as she could lay down her bike and jump on the mower she was off. Driving the mower around is the best way to begin to learn the basic driving skills she’ll need to drive a car—and at our house you start learning those skills early. I can remember my mom and dad and even my grandfather riding with me as a boy, showing me how to steer our big lawn mower and even how to mow the grass.
Nowadays I let the girls drive our family van in open parking lots. It began with them on my lap. Dad controls the pedals, hands at the ready to help guide the wheel if the unforeseen emergency would arise. Then they graduate to running the gas pedal while Dad keeps his foot near the brake. Eventually they move on to Dad sitting in the passenger seat and they have the full breadth of the van at their disposal.
Elaina has graduated to this portion of the GFDA (Grubb Family Driving Academy) and so the mower wasn’t that big a deal. What was a big deal, though, was the fact the she understands many of the laws associated with operating the mower and the van.
- Always keep looking out in front of you.
- Know and understand the controls of the vehicle you’re operating.
- Always be prepared to stop if necessary.
- Never drive faster than is appropriate for the conditions and surroundings.
The Lord teaches us in the same way. He understands there are certain things we have to learn to be in control of our lives. He gives guidelines to help us through life. The closer we can follow those guidelines, the better off we’ll be.
15 Life collapses on loafers;
lazybones go hungry.
16 Keep the rules and keep your life;
careless living kills.
17 Mercy to the needy is a loan to God,
and God pays back those loans in full.
18 Discipline your children while you still have the chance;
indulging them destroys them.
19 Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger;
if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse.
20 Take good counsel and accept correction—
that’s the way to live wisely and well.
Proverbs 19:15-20 The Message
Read Proverbs…read all of it. It’s packed with little nuggets of wisdom and truth that will help you keep it between the lines as you travel the road of life.
Lord, help me to keep these words of wisdom close to my heart. Remind me of these every minute of every day, and thank You for Your patient guidance You give me every day.