Tip of My Iceberg

The speedometer registered 20 miles per hour.

I rarely drive that slowly, but that’s what was funny about this.

I wasn’t driving at all. The car was stopped.

I knew something was wrong. I had driven to do some errands and was more than a little surprised that cars were whipping past me as if I were standing still. I glanced at the speedometer–45 miles per hour, a safe bet in a 35 miles per hour zone. And I was getting blown off the road.

I pressed on the gas, and I watched the speed climb to 50 mph.

I was still being left in the dust.

When I got home and stopped the car, imagine my surprise to find that it read 20 mph while not moving.

My first response was gratitude; I wasn’t losing my mind. My second response centered more on what I’d done wrong to break my car.

I’m a loose cannon with anything mechanized, electric, or technical. If I try to operate it, something funky will happen, and nobody can explain why.

I’m the common denominator.

There are many times in life when things aren’t what we think they are or should be. We make decisions based on appearance or experience, and often, there are more variables involved that will change the script. When we’re confronted with whatever the fluctuations are, we can adapt our perspective or become frustrated and lose perspective.

The Israelites had been in Egypt as slaves for 430 years. They were treated abominably, and to keep them controlled, the midwives who delivered the Jewish babies were told to kill all male children. An order they chose not to follow.

God raised up Moses to lead His people to freedom. Ten plagues changed Pharaoh’s mind about keeping a people that offered him nothing but problems once Moses advocated for their release. When they finally were told to leave because the cost to the Egyptians was too great, Moses led them toward the land God intended them to occupy.

The Israelites hoped for an easy journey, having been oppressed for so long. God had other plans. He told Moses to lead the people toward the Red Sea, which would give Pharaoh the idea that they were confused, lost, and trapped.

Moses led them as he was instructed, and when they arrived at the shores of the Red Sea, the people looked behind and saw the Egyptian army pursuing them. It appeared that Pharaoh wasn’t all that excited about losing his workforce.

The people were angry.

“Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness.’” Exodus 14:11-12.

They didn’t want to stay in Egypt. But the people were overcome with fear when they thought what they’d hoped for wasn’t going to happen. They lost their hope and perspective.

Moses knew better.

“But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today.’” Exodus 14:13.

What God did wasn’t what was expected. He allowed His people to cross the Red Sea on dry ground, and when the Egyptians tried to follow them, He closed the sea to its rightful place, and the entire army was drowned.

Our perception can often be wrong because we don’t know everything. God does, and when we trust Him, He moves in ways to provide for and protect us in ways we often can’t imagine.

My car? My perception of that gauge was wrong. When I discovered the truth, it freed me to make the necessary changes. Our gauges often mislead us.

What gauge are you trusting right now that is not leading you to truth?