I am sitting on the back of Megh’s motorcycle zooming down the street. Megh, his bike, and I were a unit and had to function as a unit with balance inhibiting me from closing my eyes. Traffic rules do not apply here, and if they do, no one is here to enforce them. There is no middle line to the road, allowing oncoming traffic to pass at anytime, while we are trying to do the same. Bicycles, buses, motorcycles, trucks, cows and goats, cars, and people walking while carrying baskets twice their size on their backs are all competing for space on the road. The dust and pollution is so thick, but I am protected behind my buff and sunglasses. We are on our way to the center of Kathmandu from the outskirts for some errands that Megh and I were running together. When we almost spill just to get onto the main road, literally seconds into our drive, my prayers begin and they didn’t stop until I was home again later that night. “Sweet Jesus, keep us safe.” And numerous variations of the sort. Once we are in Thamel, there is three times the amount of population and the traffic is heavier and crazier. We weave our way through the big streets to find the alley ways that are maybe a yard wide with entrances to shops lining the way and pot holes all over. The tunnel of buildings is closed in above us with roofs and laundry, and the walls seemed to be closing in. These alley ways are also littered with people, bikes, dogs, school children, and oncoming motorcycles… by this point I have chosen to not watch where we were going but look to the side and continue to pray. Our unit was literally within inches of touching everything we passed the whole time, and my knee nicked another biker at one point. Blog titles were racing through my mind as I was trying to figure out how to convey this mayhem to everyone. I was taking it all in, using what Jim Halpert uses, my memory camera, all while trying to maintain my best balance.
This was one of the best days I was able to spend with Megh yet. As hectic and stressful as it was, Jesus was in control the whole time. He was keeping us safe, he was providing balance between my body weight and Megh’s, he was the one that had a replacement battery at the computer repair store, he was the one who provided a great exchange rate from USD to rupees, and he was the one watching over me when I was getting my foot x-rayed.
I had no control over how fast we were going down hills and around buses that didn’t have room to pass, just like I had no control over the rest of the day. When I try to take things into my own hands, they don’t always turn out the right way, or good at all.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 claims “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.”
This was the first verse I chose to memorize on the trip and it holds true to every facet of my life. Jesus is in control… and he takes the best control when I completely submit to him and let him. Yesterday could have been a nuts stressful day if I chose to take it under my wing, but it was the best day… all with Jesus in control.
