I’ve often wondered how those big floats in the Tournament of Roses Parade are
steered. You can’t see anyone at a steering wheel—how do they do it? According
to an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," the person steering is in a
little compartment deep inside the float, where no one can see him. He can’t see
much—he has only a seat, a steering wheel and a set of headphones. Up front, in a similar compartment, sits a man with only a microphone, looking through a very
small window. When the float needs to speed up or slow down, he tells the man
behind him to adjust accordingly.
But how does the man at the steering wheel know which way to go? On Colorado
Boulevard there is a light blue strip painted on the pavement. The person steering the float can see that strip through a hole in the floor, thus keeping the float in the middle of the street.
How much like that we are, as we move into a New Year! We have no idea what’s ahead of us—we are moving blindly into the next twelve months. We are like the guy at the steering wheel, not being able to see what’s in front of us, but if we
listen closely, we will be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us to make an adjustment here or there, speed up or slow down. And if we keep our eyes on Him, the way the person at the steering wheel watches that blue stripe, we'll be sure to keep our lives and hearts aligned with His.
The guy steering the float has only one job: to watch, listen and obey. That’s not
much different from our own responsibility, as we follow the Holy Spirit.
That reminds me of words in John 16:13– “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
--Rocky Henriques, www.uticabc.com