Driving Lessons!

I am the mother of a teenager.

A teenager learning to drive.

Learning to drive my car.  Not her daddy's. Mine.

I am feeling "bittersweet" about the experience.  Can't believe she is old enough to be taking drivers class. Yet...I am loving this next step on the developmental milestone journey.

Until she corrected me today.  Yeah.  My 16 year old corrected me.  And she had the right to do that!

It started this morning.  She said she would like to try to drive to class.  I was glad because last week she had confessed that she was nervous and refused to drive to the high school.  So to hear her volunteer to drive this morning was an answer to prayer....I had prayed she would be less nervous and more willing to get behind the wheel.  Here in NYS, teens with learner permits need to get a certain number of hours in for driving practice before attempting to take the road test.  She also needs extra hours of "after dark" driving.  This is why she is taking Drivers Education.  It is only offered 2 days a week. She chose Saturday mornings.

She was assigned the 9 a.m. driving class and then at 10:30 she goes to the classroom instruction component.  So she is at school every Saturday from now until mid-June.  From 9-noon. Which means her father and I don't have Saturdays any longer to just take off and do whatever.  So.....

Today she drove out of our development and down the country road to the main road that leads to another main road that the high school is on.  I was fairly calm because this was the 3rd time she had been on this road with me.  It helped that not many people are out in our town at the ungodly hour of 8:40 a.m. on a Saturday.  She did fine and applied some of what I had taught her last week as I took her for practice after church on Sunday.

And then we got to the main road.  A 4 lane road. 
Up a hill. With a city bus on the right.
And we need to get into the left lane.
And then take a left at a light at top of hill onto another fairly well-traversed road. With a speed limit of 40 mph.

She was going about 3o miles an hour at the bottom of the hill and I said "Ok Courtney you can step it up a bit".

She said "Mom, the speed limit is only 30 miles an hour here."

I said "Courtney, everyone goes at least 40 here...ya gotta, to make it up this hill. There are no police around at this hour."

"well, mom, everyone is breaking the law then.  I am NOT gonna speed up. It's not right."

(Ok...who is the teacher here???)

Ouch. She is so right.  The people going 40 on that road, up that hill,, are going too fast.  There is a sign at the crest of the hill that says 40.....but...she was correct to start at 30 since the road begins with the city limit of 30 miles an hour due to residences on both sides of the road.  Now....I am not gonna lie to my teen.  Yes, I  told her I am one of those people who tend to go much too fast up that hill. I have been known to go more like 50 just to make it to church on time (our church is at the top of that hill and the high school is down the road and around the corner from the church).  So I travel this road often. I also take it every single day to work.

I saw her in a different light.  She was no longer a child.  She is a young adult.  Or somewhere in between anyways...a talented, gifted, smart teen with good common sense and so honest!

This verse came to mind:  "We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine...but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head---Christ." 
Ephesians 4: 14,15

There is nothing good about lying or being deceitful.  Even if everyone is doing it.  Even on a road with no police in sight.
As Scripture points out, we grow up when we tell the truth.
Telling the truth in love is even better! When we lie, it is just as bad of a sin as if we commit adultery, steal, covet, or murder.  As Christians, we would never say, "Oh that one little affair is ok...it was just a little affair...it meant nothing and it didn't last long".  Well, telling a "little white lie" is not ok either.  Not even in driving!

If I am going to be an effective teacher and help my daughter drive, I need to practice what I preach.  I am always talking about honesty. My husband and I used to laugh and say Courtney was so honest it was sometimes to her detriment.  But you know what??  She is living the way she should as a Christ-follower.  
I am not saying she is perfect.  She would tell you her self she is not perfect!
But...she is honest.  I know I, my self ,always try to be as honest as I can be.

Ok...I admit. When it comes to obeying the speed limit, I am not always honest.  In fact, I display road rage sometimes.  It is taking a teen driver in the house to curb this in me. 

This was one driving lesson that turned into a spiritual lesson!

Taught by my teenager!

(i better watch my speedometer on the way to church, up that hill, tomorrow!)