My daughter plays the ‘yellow car’ game. Here’s what it taught me about faith

What’s it like being in the car with a child? In our family, car journeys come with their own soundtrack and traditions, but they also come with games. Our nine-year-old daughter is currently enjoying the yellow car game. If you spot a yellow car, you punch the other person on the arm. That’s it. No prizes, no mercy.

After a few journeys filled with unexpected arm punches, momentary frustration and distracted driving, we decided to change the rules. Instead of punching, you simply say: “Yellow car!” Much safer, much kinder and far more sustainable. Now it happens on every journey. Trips to the shops, long drives to visit family in the West Country, quick dashes in the rain. We look out of the window and spot them together.

What I did not expect was how deeply it would stick. I now find myself noticing yellow cars even when I am driving on my own. Once something is instilled in you, you cannot help but look for it.

That made me think about the Old Testament, particularly Deuteronomy, where God encourages his people to surround themselves with physical reminders of his word. Scriptures written out and placed in small leather boxes tied to their forehead. Words fixed to doorposts and gates. We also read of tassels on garments, stones piled up to mark where God had been faithful, and memorials that sparked questions from children and stories from parents. 

When faith is woven into the everyday rhythms of life, it becomes impossible to ignore.

God knows how quickly we forget

I’d like to think I’m not particularly vain, but I cannot imagine walking around with a leather box tied to my head. Still, the principle is powerful. God knows how easily we forget, how quickly we are distracted and how much we need reminders that are visible and tangible.

The New Testament carries this principle of faith made visible forward, but in a different way. We are given practices that are both physical and deeply meaningful. Baptism in water as a declaration of new life. Communion as a repeated act of remembrance. Love and sacrifice made tangible.

We are also encouraged to internalise scripture. Memory verses we learned as children, or passages that cling to us now because they remind us of God’s faithfulness in hard seasons. And then there is the Holy Spirit, the present comforter, the bringer of peace, the quiet reassurance that God is with us, here and now.

Perhaps these things are our yellow cars. The moments, practices, words and signs that catch our attention and gently pull our focus back to God. In the rush of daily life, it is easy to miss them.

Let’s actively look for reminders today. When we are dashing to the supermarket hoping for a parking space. When we are praying for healing after a devastating diagnosis. When relationships feel strained or loved ones feel lost. God’s faithfulness is still present.

And if you happen to spot a yellow car along the way, may it remind you of God’s goodness, and thankfully, not result in a dead arm!