On July 19, 2013, I received the regular mailing from Anton Topilnyckyj. I felt it was worth sharing to a wider audience, and to bring attention to an important ministry which I am honoured to be a member of.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).

2013-2014-Luxury-Sports-Sedan-front-three-quartersWhen I purchased a vehicle a few years ago I learned the true meaning of the term automatic – it automatically became my wife’s. I have learnt to live with that and have enjoyed being a passenger in my own car. She has often remarked how wonderful it has been that I am able to recognize that driving is a skill and often, willingly share my understanding of the rules of the road from my seat.  Things do change when positions change. That is something I have learnt over this last week as I have been responsible to chauffeur myself to and from work. I can confidently say my driving has been a witness to my community as many have thought about their mortality when I was near.

As the driver this week, I did see the world differently. I had to watch what was going on around me and had to be prepared to react. Thankfully we have this large window in front of us that allows us to see the world clearly. As I drove I would glance in my rear view mirror and also see the world that I just passed and watch it move away from me. It became less and less of an impact on the movement forward. Driving myself this week has reminded me much about my spiritual journey and how I am in control of my forward movement towards God.

Braun-Ability-and-VMI-Mobility-VansTo seek God’s will we need to be willing to experience relationships and love as He intended. My wife has often reminded me that the first 2 letters of God is GO while the first three letters of Satan is SAT. We are to GO into the world and share the message of God’s love. To do this we have to leave our comfort zone. When driving, my mind could not wander as I was responsible for my forward movement. I needed to pay attention to what was going around me. I had an objective but to get to it I needed to be mindful and cautious of what was happening around me. In order to walk with God we have to leave our houses, our church pews, our comfort zones and GO into the world and see what God has placed before us. Like Jesus, we have to GO where the need is and not expect it to come to us. As a driver we must stop at lights or cross walks that are in use and pay attention to those using them. Part of the journey with God is not the route but paying attention to those who are on it. We must also stop and talk to God’s children and give them some attention.

rear-view-mirrorDriving this week also revealed how the windshield and rear view mirror could be used as an analogy to our walk with God. In the car we have a windshield that protects us from stones, bugs and whatever else is flying towards us all the while allowing us to see large obstacles far enough in advance to avoid them. When we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit becomes our protector and guards us as we walk toward the Kingdom. He also warns us of the obstacles that can take us off the path. He allows these obstacles so we can grow in confidence and learn to address and avoid them in the future. Part of the driving experience is also properly using the rear view mirror. It is purposely smaller so as not to distract us from our forward movement. It does alert us to possible dangers, such as potential rear end collisions, but because we have the large view in front of us, we can react and avoid danger. We must not focus on it as we drive forward. We are all sinners and when we ask, God forgives and then forgets our sins.  Satan loves to remind us of our past failures and tries to use them to stop our forward motion. He wants us to look back. When we look in the rear view mirror we see a small image that moves further and further away. As you draw nearer to God, your past sins should be moving further and further away from your thoughts and should not be allowed to distract you. Remember that the same protector who sees to our future will help us overcome our past.

Seek God. Trust God. Connect with God. Pray.

Grace be with you

Anton Topilnyckyj

Prayer Coordinator

Military Christian Fellowship of Canada/
Fraternité Chrétienne Militaire du Canada
http://www.mcf-canada.ca
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Military-Christian-Fellowship-of-Canada/359556397396733