When Jesus Took the Wheel by Mary Folkerts

There are moments in life that solidify in our minds like concrete, becoming a kind of guidepost in the sand, marking the before and after. One such marker came upon me quite suddenly on a long, lonely winter road, thirty-two years ago. It happened between Christmas and New Year's, that liminal space where you can’t quite remember what day it is.

That same liminal space represented my state of mind, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I was young and in flux, drifting along without aim or purpose. I was in a relationship that was going nowhere, and in my heart, I knew it needed to end. I was working a job that barely paid the bills. I was just getting by physically and spiritually, but I was not thriving. I knew that ultimately I wanted to live my life for God, but it felt like I had been in the Almighty’s waiting room long enough, and I began finding my own ways to happiness. I was not ready to let Jesus take the wheel of my life. I liked being in control, even if I didn’t know where I was headed.

I liked being in control, even if I didn’t know where I was headed.

I had spent a lovely Christmas with family in the far north and was driving back home. It was a long winter road, snow piled high on either side of the highway. I was driving alone on this 650-mile journey without a cell phone. (I don’t know if cell phones were even invented back then!)

I had been driving all day, and darkness had fallen. Many sets of headlights had come my way, passing on to their destination. Suddenly, I was roused out of my reverie, focusing on the new lights ahead. As they drew near, I realized that they were coming straight toward me, in my lane! Without thought, I turned the steering wheel into the other lane, and the wayward car passed by in my lane. I returned to the correct side of the road and kept driving, my body weak with what had just occurred! I looked in my rearview mirror to see what appeared to be the other car landing in the ditch. I didn’t stop but kept right on going.

You know that moment when you feel like Jesus literally took the wheel? You have to admit that you did not escape harm without the presence of a higher power. It’s in those times that one looks to either God or their lucky stars in gratitude.

When I arrived at my destination that night, I called my parents to tell them what had happened. I know that they always prayed for us kids, especially when we were travelling, and God undeniably answered their prayer! Their relief over how I was protected was palpable.

I look back now, thirty-two years later, and am still in awe of how God’s hand of protection was on me. I don’t believe in lucky stars, coincidence, fate, or karma, but I do believe in the power of God and His ministering spirits. I like to think that if I had been able to physically see into the spiritual dimension that night, I would have seen an angel in the car, taking over the steering wheel for me, turning the car in the right direction to save my life.

Maybe God wanted to get my attention, and He certainly had it now! He obviously had more life for me to live, and His plans for my future were only just beginning. I now think of this event as the start of the rest of my life.

As the end of the year draws near, we tend to reflect on the past. We think about the good and the difficult things we have been through, and often we gain insight in remembering. We can see things more clearly with hindsight; we see where we misstepped, but we also see the progress we’ve made.

In our reflection, let us also remember the ways God has led, guided, and protected, sometimes with a shielding hand, sometimes with unanswered prayer, and sometimes by taking the wheel.

God uses all things for His glory, to refine us and make us more like Him. Nothing is wasted in His Kingdom.

A simple and meaningful way to reflect on God’s goodness to us in 2025 is to open your phone's photo gallery. If you are like me, the Photos app documents the year perfectly, and I stand amazed at how good God has been. The beauty He creates for me to enjoy, the relationships, and moments of rest. Even when I’ve documented the difficult things, I see how He has held me through it all.

The Ancient of Days still holds us — (Immanuel, God with us).
He is still as relevant in 2026 as in days of old.

Is God trying to get your attention?
Perhaps that sunset was for you?
Perhaps that kindness was His
gentle whisper?
We must make space to look

and listen for Him,
as He doesn’t always come
in dramatic fashion.
May we be attentive to His

still, small voice in
2026.

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a member of Proverbs 31 Ministries' COMPEL Writers Training, involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the Small Things https://maryfolkerts.com/ or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/

Deep Dive by Mary Folkerts

 

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:9,10 (NIV).

I watched my 82-year-old friend dive into the summer lake while I sat in the boat with my fear. 

As a child, it was ingrained in me to fear deep water, and I never had swimming lessons until I was in high school, and then only for a short while. This, and not having much access to swimming pools, created in me a fear of water if it was too deep to stand in. 

So what a strange dilemma when you become a swim coach who can’t swim. That’s right. I help coach Special Olympics swimmers on my daughter's swim team, but I cannot swim. All  I can do is stand on the side of the pool, relaying instructions from the head coach, cheer the athletes on, and see if someone is in distress, but I cannot jump in to save them. I watch with a sense of longing as the swimmers effortlessly cut through the water, their limbs and minds trained to know how to keep their bodies afloat in deep water. They don’t fear the depths as long as they trust what they have learned. 

What a strange dilemma when you become a

swim coach who can’t swim!

 Isn’t it true that we often spend too much time splashing around in the wading pool of Christianity because we’ve never really learned how to swim? Oh, we’ve been saved by faith in Jesus, but we’ve never had the desire to swim in the deep end. Fear holds us back because when our feet can’t touch bottom, we lose our sense of control. And we don’t like to lose control. We want to “do Christianity” on our own terms. We read part of our key verse, “… I have come that they may have life…” and that’s where we stop. 

“...and have it to the full” is the deep dive. This full or abundant life is not necessarily characterized by a life of ease. One of the biggest things that keep us from experiencing this life Jesus desires to give us is our inherent need for control. We like to keep our feet firmly planted in our own plans and desires. We hold on tight and miss out on the blessing of trusting God’s love for us. We have been taught that Jesus is faithful and trustworthy, but do we believe it? Have we never learned to truly trust because we refuse to go where the water is deep? 

How can we encourage readers to dive deep into an abundant relationship with God when we fail to do so ourselves? Shallow faith is not a tried faith. It’s working through the difficult emotions, the ugly sins, admitting to failure, discouragement and depression. It’s being authentic. It’s removing the mask of perfection, revealing the depths of God’s love and working power within our own desperate hearts.

Shallow faith is not a tried faith.

And sometimes, by God's grace, He gently nudges us deeper than we wanted to go, to where we have no choice but to cling to Him.  It’s here that we become aware that living in His abundance means complete trust in His goodness, which brings abundant peace no matter how deep the water.

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member and is involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s personal blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the small things https://maryfolkerts.com/