I recently had the pleasure of helping my teen daughter get her final hours of drive time in before she got her drivers license. She took the class and did some drive time with the teacher, but us parents get to help out too, especially with the night driving. Yeah, nothing like handing over the keys right? Anyway, here are my observations from the passenger seat. Got me thinking about the bigger picture and the types of people we all meet on this journey called life.

LIFE LESSONS  FROM A TEEN DRIVER

1. The Diversions
Keep your eyes on the road and look forward not back. Don’t pay too much attention to the guys behind you. There will be people who follow too closely, who will tailgate you trying to make you go faster. Ignore them. They are diversions.

2. The Harassers
There will be followers and not all of them are friendly. Some just want to harass you so they follow you around. If the enemy can get you to keep looking in your rear view mirror, you will lose your focus, cross the line, and get pulled over. And you may not make it home. Ignore the harassers.

3. The Time Stealers
Be careful who you allow to sit in the passenger seat. There will be some people who want to just drive them around for no reason. They are the time stealers. They lie, cheat, steal, and come up with all sorts of reasons you need to drive them around. Only there is no fruit. No good comes of it, and you only end up more frustrated. Don’t let just anyone sit beside you – be careful.

4. The Tormenters
Not everyone gets to park in your driveway. These people like to torment others with their presence. The Narcissists, the Jezebels, the Fakers. They barge right into your life and try to take over. They have no compassion and no respect for anyone other than themselves. They are not your friends, even if they brag on about you. They may smile at your face, but there is a knife behind their back. They would love to see you fail.

5. The Gossipers
Beware of who you let in the backseat of your car. Yes, the backseat drivers. They criticize you for everything you do, all while you are trying to drive. They tell you where to go and how to get there. Bossy, condemning, and controlling people like to sit in the backseat. It’s their way or the highway. And they want to drive your car – from the backseat. They don’t want to take responsibility for their lives or happiness, they just want to criticize yours.

6. The Real Friend
They are out there. And they want you to succeed. Let them in. They are the ones who will listen, pray for you, and help you on your journey. They would ride with you anywhere, anytime just to be with you. They like your company and it doesn’t really matter where you go – as long as you are travelling together.