More from Claire Bell

My meditation on capturing thoughts to Christ came to mind again this week as my husband and I visit England for the first time. We had arranged a hire car, and planned for Phil to do the driving since he copes better in unknown environments. When he could not find his license at the time we picked up the car, I had to step up to be the driver. We were about to launch out to East Anglia from Oxford.

The temptation to imagine the worst forced me to make a choice: I could follow the way my fear led me into thinking about how frightened I was of damaging a new car, of getting lost, of having trouble with heavy traffic on motorways. Or I could trust that God had a reason for literally putting me in the driver’s seat.

As I familiarized myself with the controls of the Fiat Tipo, and Phil worked out how to use the factory-fitted satellite navigation system, I did what the Lord has been training me to do – I refused the fear, choosing to believe God would enable me to do what this task. I sensed God saying to me, ‘You can do much more than you believe. Now is a chance to see it for yourself.’

And I saw it. I managed the gears (though I usually drive an automatic), the indicators on the left instead of the right, and following the guidance of Phil and the navigation system. We made it to our destination intact and my confidence had grown.

In this life we will continually experience the challenge of choosing trust instead of fear. I am so grateful that my Father in heaven is trustworthy and loving, training me to resist fear and to discover new depths of his goodness.