Jesus, Take the Wheel Song Reflection: Carrie Underwood
By Tom Gilbert
Carrie Underwood — Jesus, Take the Wheel
(Song lyrics copyrighted by owner
and listed for reference)
She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the
backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of
glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was sooo scared
She threw her hands up in the air
Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this all on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel
It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping
like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way
I've been living my life
I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight
Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this all my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Oh, Jesus take the wheel
Oh, I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
From this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel
Oh, take it, take it from me
Oh, why, oh
Sudden life crises can be wakeup calls.
They can also be an adrenaline rush. If you are driving and
hit a patch of ice and spin out of control you can realize
just how vulnerable you are. Life can end quickly, or at least
change dramatically.
Carrie Underwood, the new country star and winner of the American
Idol 2005 competition, had a huge hit with the song, “Jesus,
take the wheel”. The song opens dramatically. A woman
is driving through bad winter weather. Her baby is secure in
the infant seat in the back. It’s Christmas Eve and this
young mother is on the way home to visit her parents, tired,
low on gas, depressed and driving too fast.
Suddenly she hits a patch of black ice and the car spins out
of control. Both her life and the life of her baby flash before
her eyes. She panics, throws her hands in the air and in that
instant…surrenders to Jesus. “Jesus, take the wheel
/ Take it from my hands / Cause I can't do this all my own
/ I'm letting go”.
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There’s the message in a couple
of lines. I’m letting go. I can’t do it. I can’t
live my life (as much as I may think I can) on my own power.
Jesus (God) – you drive.
No one wants tragedy to strike. But, in all our lives it is
inevitable that we will come face to face with hardship. Maybe you won’t
have a terminal illness or be in an automobile crash or lose a loved one.
However, there are no guarantees. At some point in life you will realize
that alone, on your own, as tough and talented as you might be, life will
throw a curveball you can’t hit.
In the song the young mother’s car comes to a halt safely,
perhaps miraculously, and no harm to her or her baby. She is
overcome with tears and the realization that things must change.
She is grateful for another chance at life and decides to change.
Let go, let God.
You don’t have to wait for a life-threatening wakeup call.
But something has to get your attention. And it is not about
making a deal with God. Jesus is not Monte Hall, hiding your
salvation behind door number one, two or three. The love God
gives is free and available to everyone. It is our choice to
accept it. If we choose it our responsibility is to give up
trying to run our lives (and anyone else’s) and spread
that love around. Live for today. Be present in the present
moment. It’s not too late. Perhaps a song will be your
wakeup call. Jesus will drive if you let him.
More song reflections: Switchfoot - "Dare You To
Move" read
Lifehouse - "Hanging by a Moment" read
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