Six weeks ago I had knee surgery in my right (accelerator foot) knee. I had to rely on others to do the driving for about a month. It was awful! It wasn’t until I was back to driving that I finally felt free again. Clutching the steering wheel is where I belong.

Then came a 250-mile trip to Chicago. Although my 24-year-old, good-driver daughter accompanied me on this trip, I couldn’t turn some of the driving responsibilities over to her. This is just not in my nature. About an hour into this straight-highway trip, my knee began to ache. Two hours into the trip it was extremely sore. I needed to get my foot off the accelerator and straighten out my leg. I’ll just have to suffer! I told myself and continued the journey in pain. When we arrived at our destination I could hardly get out of the car. It took a long time before I could walk.

I dreaded the drive home. As we hit the highway my eyes fell upon the cruise control. If I used this, I could periodically straighten out my leg. I can do this! It took a few false starts (and stops) but I found the cruise control to be a valuable function on the long trip home. I learned—finally—that I didn’t need to be in control at all times.

I have begun applying this insight to other areas of my life. I have learned that freedom comes by sometimes relinquishing control and giving it to others. They may not do things exactly like I would do them, but how they do them is still pretty darn good. How nice it is to see the light…and to see the highway from the passenger window!