the company car.

A couple of weeks ago my boss needed me to run an errand for him to campus. I told him that it would be no problem to quickly walk up there.

It was getting pretty close to end of day, and he thought that it would be absurd to make me walk to campus and back to our off-campus office in time.

He then told me to take a company car. As if it were nothing.

My heart pounded.

Did he even realize what he was asking me to do?

Inside my head, the following dialogue ensued:

“What on earth? I’m only 21! I can’t take a company car!”

At this moment, I’m still fairly certain that 21 is still too young to rent a car in most states….

Fast forward to five minutes later. I check the car out at the front desk, and walk out to the parking lot to get into the car.

I’m bracing myself. Like, literally bracing myself for the amount of responsibility that I felt that I was about to take on.

I felt like my white knuckles, gripping the steering wheel, 16 year old self again. In fact, I don’t think I’ve been that conscientious of the road since I was about 16 and a half, and no longer totally terrified to go over 30.

Are you sensing my anxiety at all of the trust that was placed in me?

I climbed into the car, and right there by the radio was a big green sign that said "safety first."

As I drove to campus, I slowed down in plenty of time for the stop sign. I checked my blind spots like crazy, and my hands never left 10 and 2.

I got more comfortable as the ride to campus went on, and I actually remembered how much fun it is to drive (something you forget when you don’t own a car).

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. There are plenty of things that I get scared to death to be trusted with. I think, ‘How could I be capable of handling this, or making this last, or not completely and blatantly failing? I mean, I can’t even keep a houseplant alive!’

But trust is a beautiful thing, and I’m thankful (if not humbled) that there is a God in Heaven that trusts us with so much: to love and take care of His children, to bless us with meaningful employment, and even to test us with painful experiences. He knows that if we “rise to our privileges” we can be so much more than we are right now.

I noticed in that small experience that we often rise up to the expectations that others set for us, or that we have for ourselves. We’re living below our potential if we make unnecessary excuses for our shortcomings.

What’s more, we help others to grow when we place our trust in them. I hope that I am placing enough trust in my friends and associates to let them know that I believe in them and their capabilities. Because isn't it a great thing to know that others trust you?