'Taught by a Teen'

Today I did something I've never done in almost 30yrs of ministry - I went on a 5 hour touring trip with a teenager preparing for getting his license. He needed about 17 driving hours before he qualifies for his driving license and his parents okayed me to take him driving; so we went to Fort Wayne, INd. which is about 2hrs from our home town. The whole trip took us from 8:30Am to 2PM. I was amazed by his attention to details, and his determination to stick to the speed limit; even when we got on the freeway he was careful to watch his speed. Interestingly we passed more state policemen today than I've seen in months! Arrivng in Fort Wayne I treated him to the best chicken in the land - CHIC-FIL-A. Then we drove around the inner city for awhile, giving him experience both in light, easy flowing traffic and sometimes bumper to bumper traffic from light to light. Overall it was a good experience; he never panicked or lost his cool, and surprisingly, since I really would rather drive than be a passenger, I felt quite comfortable on my side. My prayer is that when he one days gets his license the aora of being in control, and without any adults in the car he will continue to remember not only the rules of the road, but always be cautious. I guess in some ways this experience was a stretch for me also, not only in being a passenger but hopefully sharing grace. He made a statement early on that set me back, because sometimes we adults forget about the influence we have over those who are younger, he said, 'never thought I'd see the day when I'd go on a road trip driving my pastor around.' That statement was worth the trip - and I'm sure it will give me less hesitation should any other teen ask for the same favor. God really does appear unexpectantly sometimes.