Faith Powers My Dream Car

Last updated on: September 30, 2023 at 10:07 pm by Christine Schmertz Navarro

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Faith Powers My Dream Car 2023-09-30T22:07:12-07:00 Christine Schmertz Navarro

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Have you ever had a dream that provided spiritual food for thought? I did.

A Car Powered by Faith

When I was in graduate school, some time ago, I dreamt that I had a car powered by faith rather than gasoline. I was driving in the sky at the same altitude as planes. To look down would have been madness given the height. In addition, I could not see the road ahead of me. Instead, it seemed to form beneath me as I drove.

I had the distinct impression that if I stopped believing that the road would not continue to form, my car and I would fall 20,000 feet. I always thought of the dream as the car powered by faith, but perhaps it was really about the road built by faith. In any case, my life relied on my belief that the road would continually be made beneath me.

Cartoon car in the sky with the road underneath it and behind it, but not ahead of it.

The car powered by faith must have sufficient faith to continue or else the car plunges to earth. Image created with Canva.

God Does Not Always Get What God Wants

Although I saw God’s hand in these life changes, a wise professor reminded me that God does not always get what God wants. On the one hand, this truth is obvious because God would never want human suffering like famine, war, or any destructive forces that harm people, other creatures, or the earth.

On the other hand, when we take a direction that does not go well, we may wonder if God really led us in that direction. A job may be terrific at first but then become toxic under different leadership. What happened there? If it did not work out, who was responsible? Is this what God wanted?

The Car Represents the Life of Faith

When I was younger, I had faith that God would lead me and provide. I let go of one job before I had another because I felt that God would show me how to use my talents in a new position. As a result, I started a role that I had and loved for over ten years. God then led me to another position for which I was well suited.

Is God Concerned About All of Our Life Decisions?

In the imagery of the car powered by faith, I would keep driving along no matter what was happening in my outside world: both good and bad experiences. This driving plan would take care of itself, in time, leading me to the next steps in my vocational journey.
I had a former student who was considering what path to take next and was using spiritual discernment to determine what that would be. I started wondering if God always leads us to a specific destination. She was well-educated, brilliant, and personable. She could serve God and other people in various capacities. Could she drive her own car of faith and choose one of these paths or did God want her to select one path over another?

Dusting Off My Dream Car

Whether or not God chooses our paths or destinations so specifically, I would say that putting more time into prayer, as I did in those days, can only help me see God’s hand at work. Perhaps my faith car has been in storage, and I need to dust it off and resume driving. Have I fallen to earth because of a lack of faith? It could easily be that it is I who cannot hear if God is giving me direction, rather than God staying silent. After all, the road appearing relied on my faith and perhaps that faith has become a bit rusty.

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