Jesus Take the Wheel
ISBN-13 : 979-8986520223
TRIGGER WARNING: infertility/miscarriage/child loss
Hold on, isn’t that a Carrie Underwood song? Well, yes, and no. The sentiment definitely runs parallel, but the story calls to mind the plot of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Wait a minute, isn’t this a book review? Yes, it is! So… is this a song from some 20 years ago? A movie from some 20 years before that? What’s going on here?
This is a children’s book cleverly written and published by Gina Kirkland. It follows the protagonist’s journey through life, with its ups and downs, and her reliance on Jesus through it all. The entire book is written in rhyme and it explores many different scenarios, some much more serious than others. The story is sensorial beyond the words and images themselves, with sounds like roars and screeches sprinkled throughout to keep younger children engaged. It is aimed at children ages 3-9, but my little one definitely found it entertaining before the age of 2, pointing out balloons and dogs and babies in the story.
My favourite part is the recurring prayer that goes:
“Jesus, oh Jesus,
Will you take the wheel?
It’s not going my way,
And this isn’t ideal.
I don’t understand,
But I know you have plans.
So I put all my fears,
Into your loving hands.”
I think it would be easy to take this prayer and learn it together with your child. The rhyme and meter can help to learn it by rote.
I love that this story puts trust in God in such high esteem, acknowledging that our plans are not always the same as His plans, but that His love for us will get us through. I also love that the story clearly shows that we can trust Jesus with our worries and fears and that He solves them in a way that is even better than we could dream! Although every parent’s journey may differ, the universal parent-child relationship comes up at the end of the book, which, when we read this book as a bedtime story, provides us a lovely opportunity for kisses and cuddles! I would advise you to read the book a few times by yourself before you crack it open with your children, as some of the themes may be quite emotional. The story touches on very real life experiences such as fear, uncertainty and even alludes to the grief that can be caused by infertility/miscarriage/child loss, and even though I haven’t personally experienced those struggles, I have close friends who have, and it definitely touched my heart and made it a little difficult for me to read it out loud to my child those first few times (with tears running down my cheeks).
While this is heavily inspired by the author’s journey, it can get you thinking and talking with your children about times in your life and theirs when they might call on Jesus. Perhaps they are scared, or worried, or unsure, or sad, and they need to give Jesus control in some area of their life. It could be particularly poignant to read and discuss if they are going through something.
Marissa Napolitano’s illustrations are beautiful and bright. I think the soft colours and expert blending also help to provide a soothing background to the sometimes hard-to-endure realities that are found in the story and complement the story perfectly, rounding out the book’s appeal to children.
This book is currently only available in paperback, but depending on how gentle your littles are, it is a wonderful addition to any Christian child’s library. You could also order it now for when they are better able to gently turn pages – it might be sooner than you think!
Have you read this book? What’s your opinion on it? Do you have a prayer of trust similar to the one in this book? Let me know what it is in the comments!
Until next time, let’s pray for each other. And remember, we can do Mom things through Christ who strengthens us!
Mom Things Through Christ 