by Martha June

There is a simple truth, foundational to Christianity, that I have felt drawn to as of late.

Trusting that God is in control.

As I said, simple. At least, in theory.

This challenge to trust has been a lifelong lesson for me. A lesson that has numerous layers, that go deeper and deeper into the center of my heart. Giving me numerous opportunities to just learn to trust God.

I’ve learned a lot about trust, and I am still learning. Oddly (or not so oddly) God has used the letter “M” as a small way to tell me “Keep walking this way, Sis! Keep trusting me!” when I have begun to doubt over the years.

Back in 2017 I found myself about 1858.98 miles (according to a google calculation) away from home. I was a little bit over a month into my internship in Nicaragua. On our way further inland to see the river communities, our team stopped for the night at a little hotel of sorts. I was coming down with something that put my emotions in a fragile state.

Regardless, I was on the brink of tears when I was handed my room key. My emotions were a mixture of homesickness and likely fatigue. Looking down I realized that my key had an “M” initial on it. I know that small detail was something God gave me as an encouragement. I knew I was “supposed to be there”, and I was not alone.

Upon coming home, I began job hunting. The search was fruitless for a while, everywhere I applied never followed up. A friend recommended a position she thought that I would be good fit for me and I applied, even though it would be a long commute.

A few weeks later, I was hired and driving to my first shift. It was my nineteenth birthday, and as turned down a rural road, I began to second guess the wisdom behind trying for a job this far away.

A few minutes later my map directed me to “turn right on M,” as in Highway M. I had immediate peace about it. Three years later, I still work there, and I love it. And the drive is enjoyable for me.

As it happened, the 1995 Toyota Camry I was driving at the time began to struggle with the commute. That poor car had a hard time maintaining a “high speed” on the highway, my steering wheel shaking over 40mph. Once coming home from work, I parked, and it died in my driveway. (This was not the first or last time).

I began used car shopping with my dad, and he found a 2008 Honda Civic with decent miles. The previous owner pointed out that she had participated in a IronMan, and had the emblem on the car. She did not want to remove it for fear of chipping the paint. I bought the car. I noticed later the emblem was shaped like an “M”. I love that car, and have had very little problems with it.

I have made many plans in my life that have not worked out. 2020 was like that for all of us. But all of these “M”s remind me, be it simply, that God is in control, and He has a way of marking our path. He is sovereign in our everyday lives. Any control I think I have is an illusion. Sadly, I still operate out of that mentality, imagining I’m in control. And yet, even in the simplest moments God reminds me He is at the wheel. It is my job to trust Him.

Most Christians know this, and acknowledge this, but do we live it? Do we trust when the world is upside down? Do we trust it when our circumstances challenge that trust?

2021 may be different, or it may not. But the challenge for Christians remains the same. Will you trust God with all circumstances great and small? Will you let him lead you on your own “Highway M”?

Sincerely,

M

P.S. My old Camry is still kicking, and new tires and a couple repairs, “driving better than ever!” I guess she just needed a break from me, haha.