Do you know what it's like to be afraid to drive? The fear of driving is listed among the top 12 fears. I wrote this post so others will know thy are not alone!

 

My hands grip the steering wheel as you speed past me on the freeway.

I’m the driver in the slow lane you honk at in irritation as you confidently roar by. You probably wonder why I am such an idiot and maybe you even think I’m purposely trying to annoy you with my awful driving skills.

But what you don’t know is that before you whiz past me, I have spent my drive praying repeatedly for safety–that I have just saved my children out of a burning car or gained consciousness from a rollover only to see my baby unresponsive–at least, in my mind. 

I’m not afraid to be dead. I know I’ll be in Heaven. But I am afraid of how I will die. Or living without someone that walks around this earth with part of my heart inside of them. Every time I get in a car, I feel like I increase my chances of death by a large percentage. The stakes are too high and it clouds my thinking and ravages my confidence—especially on the freeway, where good decisions and maneuvers must sometimes be executed quickly. 

As I look back on my driving history, I can see how I’ve intentionally avoided driving on freeways in order to protect myself. It seems like a logical choice in the moment when you are afraid.

Hmmm. Risk my life and possibly die or just not go to that event?

Do you know what it's like to be afraid to drive? The fear of driving is listed among the top 12 fears. I wrote this post so others will know thy are not alone!

I have missed many opportunities to show my support to family and friends because I was uncomfortable driving to a place I’ve never been to. 

I wish I had the courage to tackle my fear a long time ago. Maybe then I would have enough driving experience to be confident. 

When we allow fear to dictate our decision-making, we lose our power to overcome. Click To Tweet

When we give in to fear, we lose our power to overcome. We adjust our life around it. We lose our ability to learn and grow through practice and hard work. 

We may not even realize the magnitude of our fear until someone else points it out to us and we notice it’s affecting other people.

I’ve managed pretty well by avoiding situations. Up until these past few years. Now my children love soccer and want to be on travel teams. (Yikes!) 

I agreed and I’m pressing forward to fight this fear. I’ll be honest; I don’t feel confident. I feel scared. But I’m determined not to let my feelings hold me back

Two of my children are in mini soccer season. They both have Saturday games in different places. I am learning to cope with two fears. You see, it’s also hard for me to let my kids go in cars with other people. I worry that they’ll be in an accident. I worry that I won’t be able to get to them if I get a call.

But I’m pushing past my fears. I’m going to drive one child to an out of town game while my other child will be driven by a trusted team member to the other game. 

I could use your prayers.

Fear places lies into your mind too. What if this and what if that. These are the thoughts where we envision ourselves facing our fear and the “worst case scenario” happens.

I had the awful thought that just because I am writing this post…what if  I got in an accident? What if I died facing my fear? How would that encourage others to face their fears? What if I allow another parent to drive my child to a game and they get in an accident?

These are the irrational thoughts we have to pinpoint and confront!

We have to push back irrational thoughts and confront them. Click To Tweet

These awful thoughts are wrapped up in doubt and fear with a giant bow from the enemy that whispers lies like, “God is not in control. Accidents are. If you make the wrong decision your fate is in your hands.”

These lies prevent us from moving forward. We need to push them back. Replace them with God’s truth… with a sense of optimism and gratitude. Replace them with practice. Replace them with action.

Repeat truth to yourself until it sinks in.

And the truth is…

I will die when God chooses to take me to Heaven. I will die at the precise moment He, my Heavenly Father, calls me into His arms. Not a minute sooner.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

“There is a time for everything,

 and a season for every activity under the heavens: 

 a time to be born and a time to die,

 a time to plant and a time to uproot…”

I trust in God’s ultimate power and control over my life. 

That means I don’t need to live in fear of accidents!

We fight the fire of fear by reducing its flammable material when we trust in God and believe He is who He says He is.

That He loves us. That He will take care of us. That He will not forsake us. 

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

If I die while facing my fear? Hey, that would be a great way to die—having courage! Trusting God.

No matter what happens to me on this earth, it happens to me with Jesus by my side. And that gives me hope. That gives me the courage to grow. To take a risk. To take another step in faith.

My friends, God does not want us to worry and fret over our lives. He wants us to believe that He loves us. He loves you enough to know every single hair on your head.

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30)

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-34)

I’m tired of wasting my life with worry. I choose to trust in His love for me and to work through my fear, one step at a time. 

Will you join me?

If you struggle with this fear, I would love for you to leave a comment below.

If you have a fear of driving, then stay tuned for future posts that will give you some practical steps to alleviate anxiety while driving.

I’m also happy to tell you that I’m making progress overcoming this fear! I can’t wait to tell you all about it in this post!

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