The predicament of shifting.

[ photo source ]

A year ago I found myself in quite the predicament.  I found myself one day as the proud owner of a brand new car.  A vehicle with a manual transmission to be exact.  The problem?  I couldn't drive a stick-shift.  (See the predicament?)

So there I was with a vehicle that was all mine and that I was so excited and blessed to have....except I couldn't drive it.  

As I sat in the drivers seat and sputtered through many failed attempts at moving my vehicle forward even a few feet I often began reconsidering my decision to buy such a vehicle.  I mean, how many times can you really stall before you want to give up?! Once I got rolling I had no problem...it was simply the starting to move part that was hard! But with much determination I finally succeeded in getting my car out of the driveway.  Realizing the only way to really get a grip on this whole shifting-while-driving thing was to ACTUALLY drive on the road. So I made the crazy decision to perfect the art of clutching, shifting, and actually getting somewhere by taking this vehicle and hitting the road.  For some reason I thought the humiliation and embarrassment of stalling at stop signs and in public places would motivate me to learn faster!

The journey on the road began...and much to my surprise...it wasn't a complete fail!  I actually began grasping this whole stick-shift thing!

I realized quickly that sitting around listening to people tell you how to drive a stick-shift and thinking about how to drive a stick-shift wouldn't get you anywhere. (Big shout out to those that offered up their time...and safety...to attempt teaching me!) The learning happened through each stall, each successful gear-shift, and each drive on the road. 

Reflecting upon this today I realized that life is a lot like a manual-transmissioned vehicle.

We sit there with all these hopes of getting out of first gear and actually going somewhere.  However, we get so frustrated about the struggles that come our way when we try to leave "first gear" that we end up just sitting in the driveway thinking about life "out on the road".  

We let these little set-backs HOLD US BACK instead of HELPING US to move forward.  The frustration from being stuck in one gear keeps us from getting to the next gear.  

What we don't realize is that these moments of "stalling" in life are moments that are teaching us how to move forward!  

If we're just sitting in the driveway complaining that we can't "drive" we are definitely NOT going to be getting ANYWHERE.  Jump back behind that wheel and give it another shot!  When you stall, turn the key in the ignition and give it another go!  Don't stop moving forward just because of one little set-back.  Before you know it shifting gears will be as easy as buttering toast (weird analogy?  Yes.)

Oh, and for those of you that were wondering...I kept my manual-transmissioned vehicle and I have learned to embrace the adventures of driving it ;-)