His Eye, His Heart, His Hand

I’ll never forget the day I ran over my husband with a ski boat. (It’s true… it really happened … and yes, of course, it was an accident.)

We had rented the boat on a family vacation and were entertaining our four young children by pulling them around the lake on a large tube. Then Lee asked the fateful question, “Will you drive the boat so I can ski?” My response was immediate: “No! I’ve never driven a boat and I’m not starting now!”

Lee repeatedly assured me everything would be fine … famous last words. So after some quick instruction in Boating 101, I reluctantly agreed and we were off. I actually got the hang of it pretty quickly, even growing so bold as to steer with one hand as I glanced back to check on Lee.

But then … the unthinkable happened … (and just to enhance your enjoyment of the story – I’ll let you know right up front that all ends well.)

I was turning the boat to come alongside Lee, when I suddenly noticed that it had veered sharply and was heading directly toward his head. I shut off the motor and yelled a warning, but it was too late. As I lost sight of him, I heard one of our little girls ask: “Did you kill my daddy?!”

Horrified at the very possibility, all I could do was pray. It’s weird the thoughts that go through your mind at times like this. I saw newspaper headlines reading: “Manic wife kills husband in freak boating accident.”

A few moments later, I heard Lee’s voice as he climbed into the boat. Gratitude overwhelmed me as I realized Lee was unharmed and the only evidence of our adventurous mishap was an enlarging bulge on his right temple.

Well needless to say, I was ready to head home and forget this incident ever happened, but Lee, ever the adventurer, or was it the fact that we’d already paid the full days’ rental on the boat, turned to our kids and said “David, it’s your turn. Grab the tube.”

Without moving a muscle, David glanced at me then asked his dad a wise and calculated question. “Is mom driving the boat?”

The memory of his response never fails to put a smile on my face, but in the last few years, the Lord has attached a new significance to that moment. David was wrestling with a decision about whether he should leave the safety of the boat and he realized he needed to know one thing and one thing only: Who. Who was driving the boat?

When I need to be reminded that the One and Only Sovereign King of the Universe is eternally positioned at the helm of my life, I often think of these words: “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)

As I’ve meditated on that powerhouse of a promise, I’ve sensed the Lord drawing me deeper into His heart: “Kelly, My eye is on you. My heart is toward you. My hand is moving on your behalf.”

I wonder how many of us are sensing God’s call to trust Him enough to get out of the boat. I can almost hear Him saying, “It’s your turn. Jump on in, I’m driving!”

Aren’t you grateful that we don’t need to be afraid, no matter what happens, because we’re securely held by the One who has all power, all authority, and who loves us beyond all our imaginings?

What if we threw off our fears of being vulnerable, resolutely discarded our “what ifs” and gazed more deeply into the heart of our Savior who really is the One “driving the boat.”

As we take the next step of faith, may we grab hold of Jesus and hear the tender call of His heart: My eye is on you … My heart is toward you … My hand is moving on your behalf.