"Trust The Driver? No, I'll Pass!!!"

Tale of a helpless and lost traveler....

I had just aroused from the unsettling sleep I forced myself into.

There's nothing as unnerving as trying to sleep on a bus ride, considering bad roads either washed clean by erosion or filled with potholes, sandpits or the driver driving recklessly in a bid to beat time and get to our destination or it's the unnecessary stop and walk at military checkpoints or it's an annoying seat partner making an already uncomfortable seating arrangement even more torturous.

I look around trying to take in as much scenery as possible, the houses, buildings, trees all cascading rapidly behind me.

The roads didn't look familiar, I thought to myself, peering out the window to identify familiar junctions, intersection, checkpoints or major landmarks, but no matter how much I ply these roads since my childhood, I never get so acquainted with it.

Especially not as much as the driver but it all seemed off, I tried to relax but it wasn't working, my peace greatly disturbed as my suspicion began to swell like Garri in Water or Water in Garri, the realisation suddenly hitting me.

An alarm went off in my head, my pulse picked up speed, my heart pounding erratically against my chest, drumming louder even up to my ears.

I look around now willing myself to see something or someplace my memory would vaguely remember or something that had been subconsciously etched in my memory but I couldn't.

I tried again.

Looking around to bring something familiar into focus. A familiar tree, house, signboard, building.

None!

At this point, panic rose high in my chest, the fear and uncertainty I was already experiencing thickened so much that it would take a knife to slice through.

I remember vaguely, according to the driver, in a bid to avoid an impending traffic, he had veered off the major highway into villages surrounded by thick forests. But that had been like over an hour ago since I slipped into the caressing hands of sleep.

"Mummy, why are we in the bush?" A child seated behind me quizzes his mother while she replied softly with an “I don't know,” trying hard to mask the panic in her voice.

"Driver which Kain road you dey follow for more than 5 hours?" Another passenger asked. It's the exaggeration for me, but who cares!

Haaa…. I wasn't the only one in panic mode!

This fueled and confirmed my suspicion even further.

"Don't worry when you reach you go see," the driver said laughing.

He laughed!!!

He may have laughed innocently, harmlessly but in that moment, in my head I heard a shady, evil, sinister, knowing laughter, one filled with deep knowledge of impending doom. And that was all I needed to set me off the edge.

How could I have entrusted my traveling to a Nigerian driver in these times?

Heii God, what have I gotten myself into? Jesus, come down from heaven and save your children.

My phone is dead, how do I make an emergency call or share my current location just incase somebody would find me before.....?

I shuddered at the thought of being yet another devastating news on Instablog, adding to the already existing numbers of unfortunate ordeals. God forbid!!!

I tapped a girl my age, "Do you have a power bank?"

Affirmative. She nodded.

"Please can I just boost my phone a little?"

“Sure,” she says as she digs in her black tote bag to find the power bank. Retrieving it, she checks the battery level only to say, "Sorry, it's dead."

Haaaaaa!!!

If my heart had been pounding with the force of a jack hammer, now it was pounding thrice as hard and I was sure it was going to explode in my chest.

What do I do? The driver seemed shady, whistling and singing along to the radio amidst of our increasing fear was too suspicious.

We had been driving through the thick forest for over “an hour and 30” now and the major highway was not yet in sight.

If he was truly trying to maneuver his way to avoid serious traffic, why were other cars not doing the same? Not a single car behind or ahead?

Bile rose high in my throat as I forced myself to assemble my thoughts and think of my next line of action. Different possibilities came to mind. Do I start now to raise an alarm? Do I jump out the window? Do I pretend to want to ease myself so I can escape early enough.

No!! Worse, where would I run to?

If my suspicion are confirmed, what will become of me? What will they do to me? How long will it take to find me? I don't even have an ID on me? Will God save me?

That's it, Ella, just pray.

I prayed under my breath, speaking in tongues like never before. Because my life depended on it.

After the prayer, I felt convinced enough to act immediately. My life depended on the next action I took.

I couldn't sit and do nothing.

I have a purpose to fulfill..…

Can't let the devil steal that from me.

A voice stopped me right in my tracks.

“You may not trust the bus driver but you can trust me, the safest Driver.”

I turned.

It couldn't have been the guy engrossed in his phone or the woman behind humming lowly to her son or the girl peering out the window with unsure eyes and her hands fighting to stay still, (nerves, I know them when I see them) or the rest of the passengers sleeping soundly in the midst of this chaos.

Talk about “Peace in crisis….”🤣 My friend, will you wake up from that slumber and let's panic together. The more the merrier.

I heard the voice again. "I am here, you can trust me."

Realizing who whispered to me, I tried to relax, forcing myself to slow down and my pulse to quieten.

Just then I looked up as the driver made his way into a cramped road filled with multiple traffic lanes, I had never been more happier to see traffic full of motorists, pedestrian and hawkers.

I took a deep breath and sank into my seat in relief.

Why did I even worry my pretty head in the first place? Even if I didn't trust the driver, God said I could trust Him.

How did I forget whose I am?

He wouldn't put me in a position or place to be injured. He wouldn't set me up for destruction. He has gone ahead of me and if He saw impending loom, He would direct me away from it or better still show up in the midst of it.

This letter is for you..

You who is struggling and trying to understand where your life is going. You may not trust the bus driver or the other passengers or the path or the vehicle but you can trust the One who is driving your life. He won't drive you into a ditch or set you up for utter destruction.

This letter is for you…

You who is struggling in seasons to trust God in these deep, uncertain waters. God is reaching out to tell you He's got you. He has you covered.

Can you trust God to catch you when you're falling?

Can you trust Him with your emotions, past, present, future that He knows better what to do with them?

Can you entrust your life to Him and be sure that He'll make something beautiful of it?

Can you trust God with your will, burdens, desires, thoughts and be confident that He'd make better use of them than you would?

He wouldn't throw you into the sea if He didn't think you have what it takes to swim to the shores and if you couldn't swim just yet, He sure has a boat standby to save you so you won't drown.

We may have major episodic feeling of being stuck, confused, tired, stagnant, afraid, unsure, wanting to have a semblance of control over our lives or an idea of where our lives' journey is veering to or what direction we are headed but all of that dissipates when we can learn to trust the Driver.

He knows what He is doing.

God may be driving you through unfamiliar, dissimilar, lonely, hard, rocky, tough routes but the destination is certain, just as is the Driver.

There's a promise of an expected end so all the panicking and worrying, you’d soon realise were entirely unnecessary.

You'd soon find out that you’re on the right path for you. The road or journey may be rough, dark, tiring, tedious, torturous, unsettling, uncertain, long, lonely but you are on the right path.

You'd soon realise that God is leading you even in your confusion, even in your uncertainty, even in your lack of clarity and direction. He has the map of your life, you can't get lost or missing.

Your path is different but unique and beautiful.

He has mapped out your entire days, so drop the trust issues you acquired from your ex and trust the safest driver. He won't break your heart.

I write this to myself too because I'm your sister in waiting, your sister in uncertainty. Lost sometimes too.

God will arrive just in time to save you, help you, heal you, deliver you, speak to you, announce you, lead you, direct you, provide for you.

Finally, I say

To that one who feels skeptical about launching into the deep, trust the Driver.

To that one who is going through the fire, trust the Driver (and purifier).

To that one who thinks the wait is too long and delay has lingered enough, trust the Driver.

To the one who's unsure of the next step to take, trust the Driver.

To that one who has an assignment but is scared to embark or fears they don't have the capacity to carry out the assignment, trust the Driver.

To that one who feels stuck and thinks that the world is moving on without you, trust the Driver.

To the one who wants to tap into their endless potentials and possibilities but is scared and uncomfortable with the magnitude of greatness they may uncover, trust the Driver.

To the one who is scared of the journey, time it takes to get to the Promise Land, trust the Driver.

To the one who feels lost and helpless, trust the Driver.

To the one being led through dark, unfamiliar and lonely path, trust the Driver.

To the one who can't see a way out right now, trust the Driver.

To the one who's trying to have some form of control over their lives, relax in the passenger seat (like a passenger princess or “prince”) and trust the Driver.

To the one who feels like God is silent and too far, the Driver knows what He's doing.

Just trust that the Driver knows the right route that would get you to the right destination at the right time even when you don’t.

Goodnews is I got to my desired destination and right in time for family dinner date. And so will you!

~This is a tale of a lost and confused traveler……..but for her Driver.

Selah,

Till I write to you next time,

I wish that thou mayest prosper and be in good health even as thy soul prospers.

Nuella,

Your sister in Seasons!

God wants His children to Worship Him without walls.

I'm hosting a Worship event on the 24th of November, if you'd like to partner with us in prayers, in volunteering, in support and sponsorship, please feel free to reach out....