Jesus Take the Wheel

December 13, 2023
Devotional by: Dan Jones

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
'Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
And save me from this road I'm on
Jesus, take the wheel

Many of you are wondering what this pop-country song could possibly have to do with Christmas. It’s certainly not your typical Christmas hymn and you will not find it in any church hymnal. But, it does start with a single mother, driving to see her parents on Christmas Eve and then evolves into a truly amazing story of surrender, and I would suggest forgiveness and hope.

This is very personal to me as I have recently gone through a divorce after almost 30 years of marriage. I have also served on the PNC, something I have been privileged to be part of, yet it has been a deeply emotional, spiritual, and very taxing experience. To say this has been a challenging year for me is a gross understatement. I have powered through it being the type A personality I am and have made it successfully most of the year.

I have been bolstered by much love from my fellow PNC members, family, and friends – but at some point, you are alone, in a dark place, to face the reality. It is those quiet times and times of struggle that we realize how vulnerable we are as humans.

About one month ago, I had a few seemingly insignificant things happen, yet they triggered some very strong feelings and emotions, something that had been lacking in my shut-down world for a long time. It was then that I finally came to the realization that I could not be, and in fact was not able to control the things in my life that most impacted my happiness and my soul.

It wasn’t long after that epiphany, that this song by Carrie Underwood came over the radio and I totally fell apart. It hit every raw nerve I had and spoke volumes to me about where I was in my life.

Please listen to this song again if you haven’t heard it lately and reflect on your personal challenges and where you are in your relationship with God. At its core, Jesus Take the Wheel is about surrendering and letting God be in control of your life. Most of us struggle with this “letting go” every day, I know that I do.

In this surrender though, we can find forgiveness and hope, even when faced with incredible challenges. These are the two most important beliefs that we as Christians can hold. And the birth of Jesus at Christmas is what gives us both of these. That is why, Jesus, Take the Wheel, and the surrender of one’s self to God’s plan, is so important to remember at Christmas. God bless MPC and the future we have together. It is going to be amazing!