“Jesus take my
wheel…”
Sr Patricia
Michelle Mathias FSP
The writer belongs to the congregation of the Daughters of St Paul (media-missionaries), popularly known as Pauline Sisters. She holds a Masters degree in Communications and is currently a lecturer in NISCORT MEDIA COLLEGE
A very popular
song sung by Carrie Underwood (which I
heard on you tube) tells of a story wherein a woman is travelling by a car
along with her baby. Carrie says that the woman is both low on gasoline (fuel)
and on faith in God as she has gone through a lot of suffering. As she keeps
driving and no place to fill fuel, her car goes berserk, the steering wheel
goes out of control and in this turmoil she calls out on God to help her out
for she fears for the life of her baby who is sleeping on the backseat of the
car. From out of nowhere, the car which had spun and was out of control comes
to a halt and stands still. The baby in the backseat as the woman turns to see
is safe, sound and sleeping. The woman with tears of gratitude and shock at
witnessing a miracle that very day surrenders to the Lord. She is touched by
the divine! It is hear that Carrie sings the beautiful words, “Jesus take my
wheel, take it from my hand. Cause I can’t do it on my own. I am letting go, so
give me one more chance.”
As human beings,
we are weak, fragile and often a prey to sin or moments of temptation. Each one
of us, young or old are in need of grace. Our pasts, our experiences often
leave ghastly wounds that mar our being. At times, we ourselves allow these
wounds to fester. It could be wounds of hatred, anger, ego, jealousy or pride.
At other times, we are wounded due to painful circumstances, deaths, lack of
love, loneliness, depression, hurt, etc.
In some other cases, we are simply in need of grace for simple reasons
that life seems to be a cycle where the mundane routine goes on. Life seems to
become a drudgery with nothing to offer. It is here that Jesus invites us to
turn to him in prayer. ‘Jesus... take my wheel’ are words of prayer that appeal
to anyone who is low in life and in faith.
This month is
very unique as it celebrates the day of the girl child. Life for a woman was,
is and will never be easy. No matter how urban or how modern the world has
become, many of the problems relating to the girl child continue to remain the
same. Dowry deaths, female foeticide, female infanticide, Domestic violence,
Rape, Molestation, Eve-teasing, etc are problems that women continually have to
face even today. Even in a modern country like America, the rate of domestic
violence on women is very high. Who can solve our problems?
You must be
thinking why ‘this nun’ has jumped from Jesus take my wheel to ‘Girl child!’
Nope, I haven’t jumped. And I relate the two topics for two reasons....Faith in
a miracle and a transformation within us! While, the problems that women have
to face are numerous, it is nice to ask ourselves, How can we solve these
problems? Do we wait patiently for someone to come and lift us up? Who is that
someone? The woman in the car surrenders to Jesus and experiences a transformation
that helps her to accept her pain and face life believing in a God standing
right next to her and help her. She does not give up on life nor to the
situation that she is undergoing because she knows her God is at her side. The
touch of the divine in numerous ways becomes a source of our healing and our
transformation.
I strongly
believe ‘this man’ who can take our wheel gives us enough grace to handle
life’s situation ourselves. The Bible has strong evidences. Every time Jesus dealt
with women in the Gospels, there was a massive transformation within them. None
of them could depend on others human beings when they were in desperate
situations. For instance; in the days when the bodily processes of a woman were
considered as polluting, Jesus permits a woman with haemorrhage to touch him.
She tries to quietly touch and escape. But Jesus asks of her to reveal her
identity when he intentionally asks ‘who touched me?’ The woman who was low on
self esteem and courage and was bent takes courage and accepts herself. She is
transformed and healed simultaneously. But the victory is the personal
transformation of a scared woman to woman who openly admits her touch. From
being Scarred and Scared to Being Transformed and Redeemed!
In an age when
adulterous women were caught and stoned, while men who committed adultery went
scot free, Jesus questions the norms of justice used to condemn a sinner woman,
just because she is a woman, while the man went absconding. He leads her to her
transformation and strengthens her to face the perils of the world.
At a time when
it was less known or rather considered wrong to speak to women in public
places, Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman and gifted her living water. She who
came to the well to avoid people because of her weak past, boldly runs to the
village and invites them to Jesus.
When Jesus’
disciple, Judas questioned the act of a woman who poured perfume on Jesus, He
quickly defends the woman’s action as anointment. He prophesied that this act would
be remembered for ages. It is indeed!
All said and
done, we have the strength of a God backing us women. And if someone has to
face the world it is us. Grace can work miracles. The problems of women have to
be tackled by women themselves. It is high time to look at our personal
transformation. The transformation of a woman can transform an entire society,
given the fact that it is a woman who plays a major role in the upbringing of
children in most cases. It is time we ask God strength for ourselves and face
the challenges.
If a woman is transformed then she as a mother
can train her kids to respect and appreciate the life of a woman. She can raise
her children with an esteem for woman, repugnance for eve-teasing, hatred for
dowries and appreciation for the life of a girl child. A transformed Mother can
raise both her boy and girl sibling as equals without discriminating in works.
For instance, girls are asked to do in-house house chores while boys are often
asked to do external jobs. It is here that a change should be encouraged. If
the girl is asked to sweep , the boy too should be encouraged to wash the pots
and pans and vice versa.
We are never short of examples of brave women. It is
through equality at a young age and proper teaching that we can atleast make
this world a little better, especially for women. Examples of Saina Nehwal, who
was an undesired baby and Mary Kom, winning laurels at are symbols of strength
and Women Power. The change can begin and it has to begin within us!
I hope that
after reading this article, each one of us (men
and women) will close our eyes bring ourselves for two minutes before the
Lord and in a spirit of surrender ask God to give us the grace we are in need
of. In the journey of life, let us offer the vehicles of our life to Jesus who
alone has full control and say, “Jesus take my wheel, take it from my hand.
Cause I can’t do it on my own. I am letting go, so give me one more chance.”
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