Maybe you recall from some previous posts that I am dealing with a new car after twelve years of being comfortable with my previous car. Now I bought the exact same kind of car, but even so, apparently a lot changes in twelve years. My new car is very bossy. It seems to think it knows better than I do and consequently it does a lot of things without consulting me first. It bothers me that my car seems to think it knows best, rather than allowing me to be the one calling the shots. A battle is definitely brewing between my car and myself. It is a battle to decide who’s in charge.

I guess it’s not all negative however. For instance, when I get into my car, my seat automatically adjusts to a position that I have previously chosen and “set” with the controls. When I open my door to get out of the car, my seat automatically slides back, giving me more room to get out, I guess making my exit from the car easier. It’s a nice gesture on my car’s part. I guess I can live with that.

Then there’s the lights. My car is in charge of them. I used to be the one turning them on and off manually. Not so anymore. My car decides when the lights come on and go off. And my car does this with the “brights” also. My car turns them on when she deems it necessary and turns them off when she decides it is appropriate to do so. I have to admit though, my car seems to get this right. When there is oncoming traffic, she turns the brights off in plenty of time, so as not to “blind” the drivers in the approaching cars. She does a better job than I would do actually, because sometimes I forget to turn off my brights and I definitely don’t like it when approaching drivers fail to turn their brights off. I guess they don’t have a car that makes those critical decisions for them?

Then there’s the radio. Now sometimes I am listening to a favorite song or an interesting discussion or some news and I arrive at my destination but I want to continue listening for a few more seconds or minutes. In the past, I would turn off my engine to save gas but continue sitting in my car listening to the radio. I can’t do that anymore. When I turn off the engine, my car turns off the radio. So if I want to continue listening to the radio, I have to keep my car running even though I am sitting in a parking space or in my garage. Doesn’t my car realize that I want to save gas AND continue to listen to my radio program at the same time? Previously, the two were not mutually exclusive. Why should I have to choose one over the other now? My car refuses to negotiate on this point.

Then there’s the seat heater. My old car had this feature and I loved it. I could have it “off” or on “low” or on “high.” I was in charge of this decision. Now my new car decides if it is cold enough for the seat heater to turn on or not. I can see by the lights on the button on the dash for this feature if it is off, or if it has one, two or three lights on. Because it has been very cold this past month, I usually see three lights lit on the seat heater control when I first start out. But soon it has been turned off. Now if I were in charge of this decision, the seat heater would still be on. I like being warm. But my car has decided that my seat is warm enough and has made the decision for me to turn it off. I guess my car thinks it knows best. But I disagree. I really want to be the one in charge.

I have mentioned my car’s bad behavior in the carwash in a previous post. My car also does this when I pull into the garage. She beeps frantically, panicking because she erroneously believes I am going to hit what’s in front of me. But if I stop before her beeping starts, I am not far enough into my garage to allow the garage door to close behind us. My car does not understand this and no amount of reasoning on my part can change her mind. (if she has one, which she doesn’t – she has only preprogramed instructions better known as A.I.)

My car is also a bit of a hypocrite. She won’t let me play the radio once the engine is off, but she leaves the lights on after the engine is off and even after I get out of the car, her lights are still on, even as I walk away from her. I have a confession – I always stop a short distance away and watch, waiting to be sure she turns off her lights. She does, but what if she forgets? Leaving car lights on is what drains your battery and then your car won’t start. I once had that happen with the interior ceiling light of my old car. I turned it on to search for something, then shut the car and walked away. When I returned, the battery was dead.

Another thing my car does is turn herself off when I am stopped in traffic. She restarts automatically when I take my foot off the brake. I guess this is good because it should save gas, thereby saving me money, and that is always a good thing. Although I have noticed that sometimes my car restarts when I am still stopped in traffic. I don’t know why. Did she just decide on her own that she had been idle too long? Who knows? I thought that was my decision to make – when to take my foot off the brake and activate my engine, but I guess not? Ultimately, my car is making that decision for me.

And so I am participating in this battle of the wills with my car. Who is really in charge here? Much of the time, I feel like it is my car who is making the decisions. She won’t even start if I don’t have my foot on the brake. I feel like this is unnecessary. My old car would start without that as long as it was in “park.” In fact, with really older cars, we used to start them with one foot on the gas to rev the engine, to get it going if it was having trouble starting. (of course the car was in “park”)

My car will beep alarmingly if there are cars passing to the right or to the left of me. She beeps when I pull in or out of parking spaces if she thinks I am getting too close. (sometimes that is the only way into or out of a parking space – you cut it close, but you make it – you have a visual of the situation)

I guess my car is just looking out for me. She is trying to protect me from harm with all the warning beeping going on and with the working of my headlights for me. She tries to save me gas, and she turns off her own lights and locks herself up as I walk away. I had to turn off the lights and lock my old car myself. I kind of liked being in charge of those things. Although, I guess if I forgot to do those things I would end up with a dead battery or a stolen car or the contents of my car taken. So maybe my new car does have my back. Although she does lock herself up before I am done unloading the groceries and this is annoying.

Still, I have to ask myself if my relationship with my car mirrors in some aspects the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father. Is it a constant battle for who will be in charge? Do I question whether my Creator knows best? I certainly question whether or not my car knows best. I feel like my A.I. driven car (pun intended) has an agenda and I’m not really sure what it is or if I can trust it.

My Heavenly Father definitely has an agenda for me, an agenda He does not hide from me, an agenda I can trust because I can trust Him. He’s pretty upfront about His plans for me and His intentions towards me. In Jeremiah and Isaiah respectively, I read –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Isaiah 30:18)

Jesus told His disciples –

“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 10:10)

Psalm 121 also makes clear to me that my Heavenly Father does have my back and (unlike my car) does know best –

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:2-8)

” . . . in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

God knows best – my car? not so much . . .

sincerely, Grace Day