His Hand Is Outstretched Still

So my oldest is learning how to drive. And even though it is TERRIFYING to hop in a car with your teenager & let them take your VERY LIFE in their hands, I feel like I’m a pretty upstanding parent passenger.

Well, APPARENTLY my daughter thinks this is NOT QUITE accurate. APPARENTLY, while I’m SAYING all the right things, my body language says something different. 🤷‍♀️

Ok, maybe clinging to the door handle, clenching my arm rests, tensing, gasping, squeaking, groaning ALL SAY OTHERWISE.

Who decided we could legally put 16-yr-olds behind the wheel anyway?! 😉

(She really is doing great, btw!)

Point is, she sees my actions no matter what I’m saying.

I can imagine how crazy Moses felt every time Pharaoh said one thing & did another. With each new calamity came promise after promise: “I will let the people go” (Ex. 8:8), with apparent humility, “I have sinned this time” (9:27) & “forgive, I pray thee, my sin” (10:17)

But when each trial ended & “he saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, & hearkened not” (8:15).

And he did NOT let the people go.

Do I see myself here?

Do I stand on God’s doorstep with humility when things get hard & I NEED Him, but forget Him when respite comes?

Am I with God in the storm, but when “the rain & the hail & the thunders [cease]” (Ex. 9:34) (or frogs, hail, lice, boils, etc!) do I just “[sin] yet more, & [harden] [my] heart” once again?

Maybe I don’t always WILLFULLY rebel against God like Pharaoh, but still:

“We may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people… yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, & do forget the Lord their God… because of their ease” (Hel. 12:1-2)

Until the next plague hits.

​​​“May we have a commitment to our Heavenly Father that does not ebb & flow with the… crises of our lives. We should not need to experience difficulties for us to remember Him, & we should not be driven to humility before giving Him our faith & trust.” (Pres. Monson)

When I’m compelled to be humble once again, how grateful I am that “his hand is outstretched still.” (Isa. 5:25)

We may forget Him. He doesn’t forget us.

Thank goodness.❤️ Cause I really need him while my teenager is driving😉