Who is in Control?

In Isaiah 55, we find some verses about the superiority of the ways of God to those that are crafted in human wisdom:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Human beings desire to be in control, but God is calling us to allow Him to be in control of our lives - for our thoughts to line up with His, and for our spirits to be in tune with the Holy Spirit as He guides our steps.  If we are intent on controlling the course of our lives, we are settling for less that what God has in store for us.  And, in order to conform us more fully to His will, the Lord may choose to interrupt those carefully laid plans, so that we will exert a greater sense of dependence on Him.

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Proverbs 19:21 provides a reminder about Who is ultimately in control:
21 There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand.

Last week, I shared some observations about my recent visit to New York City, focusing in on the measures that the city has taken to ensure safety for its residents and visitors.  Something else I observed had to do with the use of public transportation.  Although there are an astounding number of vehicles on the streets of New York, it is not a place in which I would look especially look forward to driving.

This morning, as I do every morning, I get in my vehicle and drive myself to work.  In fact, in our area, most residents participate in that routine.  In the Big Apple and surrounding cities, you have all sorts of options.  If you live in the suburbs, you might catch a train into the city.  Once you get to town, you hop on the subway, maybe a bus, or take the oldest known form of transportation: your legs.

Public transportation is a huge component of getting people from point A to point B - and there does seem to be a sense of people who are on a mission, intent on getting to their next destination - on time.   The MTA governs the massive system, and states on its website:

MTA subways, buses, and railroads provide 2.73 billion trips each year to New Yorkers – the equivalent of about one in every three users of mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders. MTA bridges and tunnels carry more than 285 million vehicles a year – more than any bridge and tunnel authority in the nation.

The website goes on to say:

While nearly 85 percent of the nation's workers need automobiles to get to their jobs, four of every five rush-hour commuters to New York City's central business districts avoid traffic congestion by taking transit service – most of it operated by the MTA. MTA customers travel on America's largest bus fleet and on more subway and rail cars than all the rest of the country's subways and commuter railroads combined.

In 2015, according to the MTA, over 5.65 million people ride the subway system on the average weekday.  Just over 2 million ride one of the city's busses each average weekday.

For those who have mass transit, there is no doubt a dependence on it.  But, residents of Washington, DC are preparing to do without portions of their subway system.  ABC News reports that:

In response to safety recommendations from federal agencies and even a threat from the U.S. Transportation Secretary to shut down the entire system, the DC Metrorail network is on the eve of the biggest repair plan in its history.

City officials are encouraging the 700,000 daily riders to avoid the Metrorail entirely for stretches at a time, in anticipation of extremely crowded train cars and platforms.

The plan is called SafeTrack, and it involves shutting down portions of the system through March of next year, staggering the shutdowns.  But, if you have been used to a certain routine for getting around the district or getting to and from work, this could be result in a major adjustment.

Again, I like getting in my vehicle and going where I want to go - call it control or convenience.  It's amazing to see the systems of public transportation in New York or Washington, even though there are significant repair needs.  An AMNewYork story highlighted some of the problems with the subway system.

There are a couple of takeaways from this experience with public transportation.  One is the issue of control.  There's a certain satisfaction that comes from riding trains and subways to your destination, but riders are totally at the mercy of the system.  And, the system is vulnerable to delays and even accidents.  So is driving, of course.  For the believer, while we like to be in control in some or most areas of our lives, the effective, satisfying Christian life involves relinquishing control, but not to a man-made construct, but to Almighty God, who designed us, calls us into relationship with Himself, and wants to express His will through us.  We can be challenged to rely on our Creator daily.

But, another idea has to do with how we respond to interruptions in our lives.  The New York transportation system is quite marvelous, but what happens when the subway or train is late?  Would that cause our whole day to unravel?   What about those distractions you encounter - the car won't start, there's an emergency to attend to, things don't work out the way we plan.  We humans are great at planning, but the Lord may decide that He wants your plotted course to take a different direction. Those interruptions could cause us to get off track or give us an opportunity to trust Him more fully as we walk in His peace.