14 May, 2009

Complete Trust...It Can Change Your Life!

20-year-old student's car wrecked by train after she followed her sat nav system onto a railway track.

Paula CeelyPaula Ceely, was driving her Renault Clio from Redditch, Worcestershire, to see her boyfriend at his parents' home in Carmarthenshire for the first time. She was trying to cross the line in the dark when she heard a train horn, realised she was on the track, and the train smashed into the car. The car was carried about half a mile (800m) down the line by the Pembroke Dock to Swansea train, although Ms Ceely escaped injury in the incident near Whitland.

"I put my complete trust in the sat nav and it led me right into the path of a speeding train," she said. "Obviously I had never done the journey before so I was using the sat nav - completely dependent on it," she said. "I came to this crossing at Ffynongain and there was like a metal gate, which looked like just a normal farmers' gate with a red circle on it. I thought it was a dead end at first and then there was a little sign saying, if the light is green, open the gates and drive through. So I opened the gate, drove forward, closed the gate behind me and then went to go and open the gate in front of me."

"Then I heard this train and I noticed train tracks. It was only then that I did realise I was on a train crossing. I just stood back and I just watched this train come in front of me. I could feel the air just pass me and then my car just did a 360 degree turn on the tracks and was knocked to the other side."

Paula Ceely's car after the trainShe said her initial thought when she heard the horn had been to get into her car and move it. "It was so quick that if I had done that, I would have been in the car when it was hit," she said."

"I'll never use a sat nav again. You rely on them and if it all goes wrong, you're horribly stuck. People should be more careful with them - you never know where they might lead you."

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7, NIV

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." Psalm 31:14, NIV

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1, NIV

What does God's Story teach us about where we are supposed to put our trust?

Jesus wants us to put our complete trust in Him and God. He doesn't want us to worry. When we take things into our own hands or try to control situations, we can take a wrong turn and end up on the railroad tracks like Paula did.

BUT...when we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, he directs our steps and makes our paths straight.

How can we connect today's story and God's Story to my story?

Work at trusting Jesus more today than you did yesterday. What's one of the things that holds you back from trusting Him? Try letting go of that today.

Trust Him to take care of you and provide for you.

Afterall, He IS the King of the universe!

How can we connect today's story, God's Story & my story with their story?

Talk with your friends about today's story. Talk with them about trust and what that means to each of you.

Have a friend hold you accountable to trusting Jesus, even when life gets tough.

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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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