Cars, Planes, and Rocket Ships

I find myself in an extended season of preparation. I have a tendency to get frustrated because developments in my life aren't happening "quickly enough". But when I think about the difference between taking a trip in a car, a plane, or a rocket ship, my perspective shifts. What the heck to I mean by that? I'm glad you asked!
In order to get a driver's license, you study and practice for a few months. You then are able to cover a lot more ground than you would be able to on your own.
Learning how to be a pilot is a different matter. It takes years of dedication and training before you can be qualified to be a pilot. But once you're trained, you can hop in a plane and travel literally across the world in the time it would take a car to drive halfway across the country. And planes have fewer limitations than cars do. They aren't bound by land, for instance.
Finally, astronauts train THEIR ENTIRE LIVES for one or maybe two missions, but the trip is out of this world.
So, when I consider that I may be in "training" for a rocket ship mission, not just a Sunday drive, that helps calm me and steel my resolve, which helps me continue to learn what I need to learn today, to take today's step, and let the rest of the steps take themselves at the right time.

The Dirty Windshield

I was driving to work the other day and there was a lot of road grime being kicked up from the other cars on the road onto my windshield. It quickly formed a film that made it difficult to see and navigate safely. When I tried to wash the windshield, I found my washers were frozen and weren't able to spray any washer fluid on the windshield. So instead of helping the situation, my attempts at cleaning the windshield actually made it worse.

This reminded me of my prayer life at times. The stressors and difficulties of life sometimes collect on me and make it difficult to see accurately and make prudent and productive decisions. I don't see what's beyond the current situation, but begin to believe that what I'm seeing is actually "reality", not a skewed, impaired view. Prayer is like the washer. When we pray, we're able to reconnect with Reality and allow God to wash us clean of all the leftover emotions and mental and physical effects of stress.

But sometimes, I am not in a place where I can actually connect with God. Trying to pray at times like this is like trying to wash my windshield with frozen washers: I don't actually gain in God's perspective, and sometimes make things worse by coming up with my own solutions to my problems or issues. The best prayer I can say at these times is a prayer to help me stop trying to fix the situation and allow God to work through it in His time and His way. This requires patience and faith, two things which don't come naturally. But often, once I give up trying to fix myself, I find my perspective is expanded (my washers are unfrozen), and God shows up in an unexpected and refreshing way.