Four Wheeling with the Holy Ghost

We recently went four-wheeling with our children. I had a wonderful experience that made me reflect on how the Holy Ghost works in our lives. 

I was driving the four wheeler with our 7 year old son. 

He then asked behind me, "Mom can I drive?" 

I said, "Sure! I'll be right here as you drive."

We switched spots and he was so excited that he pushed the gas HARD and we jolted into action, I immediately grabbed onto him and said, "WOOW, slow it down buddy, ease into it. Start slow and then get up to speed. Take your time buddy, no rush." 

He then slowly began down the road and we got up to speed. I looked ahead and saw some bumps coming. I thought he would slow down but remembered a little late that he was very much starting out his education on driving four wheelers. The bumps came VERY quickly and we jolted around a bit. I grabbed the break and again said, "WOOW... we need to slow down when we see a bump and go over it slowly. We don't immediately see what is on the other side, there could be water, or an animal."
He understood and we continued down the road. I kept encouraging him and would say,
"Great job buddy!"
 "Wow, you're getting  GOOD!"
"Keep going! You're awesome!"
He tried to stay on the right side of the road, as we drive on the road in our car (I was excited for his understanding of road and highway rules). I explained to him, "Hey buddy, we try to choose the smoothest course. We look ahead and see what could be coming that could make our journey rougher. We try to avoid any big bumps that could hurt us or the four-wheeler. We can go on the other side of the road as long as no one is coming our way. We concentrate on what is in front of the four wheeler and what is down the road."
He understood and quickly found that looking ahead helped him miss some big boulders and mud holes.
We continued on and enjoyed our lessons and our ride in the mountains. I loved to give him affirmations and small suggestions to his driving.

I couldn't help but think this is exactly how the Holy Ghost works. He tells us sometimes to "slow down" or to "look ahead." "Be cautious of those around you." "Good job! Keep going." "There is a bump ahead, proceed with caution." "A rocky path is up ahead, together we can make it." "No rush, take it at your own pace."

We simply have to LISTEN and OBEY.
We always have a choice in this life, we can listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, or we don't. We can listen to someone who is infinitely wiser and understands the road ahead, or we can ride through life hitting all the rough patches; learning through many may trials and errors. Life is much smoother with the Holy Ghost, our constant companion and friend. He simply wants to help. He is there to help teach us WHY we take the bumps slowly, WHY we avoid the rocks and deep mud and he is there to remind us to KEEP GOING, our journey is long, but it is worth it. Together we can make it!