Virginia is ready for a road trip!
Psalm 119:59-60
I thought about the wrong direction in which I was headed, and turned around and came running back to you.
Late last year, while MIL is still doing well and living in her own home, Danny and make the trek together to Oxford to pay my mother a long-overdue, overnight stay. We agree to avoid the interstate at all costs, even though it means the trek will take longer, about an hour and a half longer than if we opt for the other take-your-life-in-your-hands route.
We arrive relaxed and rested, instead of tense and stressed. What could be better than that? Still, Danny has a hunch that there could be an even shorter way to drive home. Smart phone in hand, he peruses Google maps for possible paths to try.
When I see him beaming, I know at once Danny has struck gold. "It's fairly convoluted," he admits, "but I'm positive this way I've discovered will cut down on both time and miles for us."
Of course, I'm delighted, and can't wait to see what unfolds on this new journey. After all, I think, how complicated can it really be? Well, for this directionally-challenged woman, who barely understands how to use maps on my cell phone, I am definitely propelled way beyond my cognitive comfort zone.
This turns out, indeed, to be a pleasantly rural, and for the most part, intersection-fee ride, but I find myself thanking the Lord repeatedly that Danny's phone speaks the directions to him loud and clear. All the twists and turns, the changes in road names, even though they continue straight on, only serve to confound and confuse me.
And when if comes to driving this route with granddaughter, Virginia Rose, I'm a bundle of nerves. I don't trust my phone to work as it should, so Danny prints out written instructions for me. I can't tell you how many times I read and reread them before taking off.
Still, I'm feeling some trepidation, especially since I have such precious cargo on board with me.
I hate to confess this, but even with the printed instructions, I miss a turn here and there. (Yes, it's okay to laugh at this juncture.) But I pull over, consult the route once again, and correct my course, not without offering a prayer, or two, or three, for the guidance I need to reach my destination.
And reach it, we finally, and with great relief, do.
I don't know about you, but there is nothing more discombobulating to me than to be lost, heading in the wrong direction, not sure of the landmarks I need to note or how many miles to travel before expecting the next bend in the road. But I do know, for sure and certain, that when the vagaries of life coax me down the wayward path, the wrong direction, I can always rely on God's faithful map to bring me home: the Bible.
His Word turns me around, and has me running, full tilt, back to Him.
And it can do the same for you.
For no matter how lost we may feel in the moment, God will always show us, lovingly and eagerly, the right direction for our lives.
Amen!
So Martha ... what happens when the GPS tells me to turn right, yet the lady sitting next to me says turn left? Who do I obey?
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when I know we are travelling South instead of going North where we're supposed to be heading; and then I discover she is holding the map upside down?
And what happens when God gives us directions in the Bible and we ignore them? Does He hit us on the head with His instructions book?
Great article, my friend.
God bless.
Lol, Victor! Thank you for the chuckle here today. No, I don't suppose God hits us in the head literally, but He can give us a wake up call, and that's a fact. Let's make sure we're holding His map right-side up!
DeleteLove and blessings!
This is so good, and I can totally relate. I used to be pretty good with directions, but not so much any more. I am thankful for my smart phone because we don't have any updated maps/or an atlas anymore...But I still like to print out directions ahead of time in case there is NO SIGNAL on the phone, which happens out here in the boonies. Have a wonderful time at your mother's with Virginia. Such a blessed little girl...and grandmother, and great-grandmother!!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Pamela! Signals can drop, especially when one is out in the sticks, so to speak. I do so much better with the written direction, yet even then . . . Well, you read the story above, so you know! So glad God can always get us back on track when we've lost our way.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I get lost in parking lots. When I drive to a city I have not been to before, I depend on my printed Google map AND the GPS lady but I often get lost anyway. My hubby said that if he ever needed to get rid of me he would take me to the woods and leave me there. He knows I would never find my way home.....or would I?
ReplyDeleteLol, Carol, you just might find your way home, knowing your tenacity (which I admire greatly, might I add)! I've lost my car in parking lots from time to time, so I can completely identify with this. When I travel to Mom's, there are lots of rural areas, and that's why I can't count on my phone.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Powerful analogy, Martha. I'm directionally challenged as well and rely on my phone app with a GPS to give me directions. So thankful with Jesus we have our HPS, a heavenly positioning system to give us directions for life's turns and twists. And if we need to make a u-turn.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I absolutely love thinking of Jesus as our HPS - Heavenly Positioning System. Brilliant! You should write a blog on that one, my friend. It would definitely speak to so many who need His spiritual direction, even and especially when it comes to u-turns.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, I LOVE this analogy. Your message is so relevant to each of us where technology is concerned by connecting how we need a trustworthy map to navigate through the tough terrain of this life. Then add in the "precious cargo," and we especially need a map. That trustworthy map is none other than Jesus Christ who said, "I AM THE WAY."
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful. I always enjoy your posts, but I think this is my new favorite!
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, Beckie. He will never lead us astray, and will correct our every wrong turn, provided we allow Him to do so. And yes, when travelling in mostly rural Georgia, I don't trust that new-fangled technology, and would much rather rely on the written instructions. So glad this post became one of your favorites, and thank you again for sharing it on your Facebook feed. So honored!
DeleteLove and blessings!
"His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Great story and application Martha.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Bill! Glad you appreciated the story and application. Now, I can hear that song playing in my head: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I'll have to Google who recorded it!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I still love an old fashioned map. But those talking phone directions are great too. And a great metaphor. You will be told when you need to turn. No need to look too far ahead. Trust that you will get direction when you need it!
ReplyDeleteYes, the talking phones are great, Galen, but I didn't trust mine to keep talking to me while traveling through a lot of rural area. Danny's worked, but he has an Android and mine's an IPhone. The talking, though, is great, because as you said, we get direction when we need it.
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Martha, thank you for this post, it's scary getting lost whether it be in a physical or spiritual sense--yet God always knows where we are at all times.
ReplyDeleteLike many who have commented, I do so much better with physical maps, as well as printed directions--I don't have a smart phone so getting directions that way isn't an option.
Love and blessings!
I hear you, Kim! I so prefer the old-fashioned way of doing things, especially when it comes to maps. And being/feeling lost is a scary feeling, indeed. So thankful God knows our whereabouts at all times!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I so relate to this and have been there myself. BU GPS has made things so much easier too. and I am glad God is always there to guide us and be with us. As always, enjoy reading this. love ya!
ReplyDeleteYes, Jean, it's good to know I'm not the only directionally-challenged person out there. Thank goodness God is with us at all times!
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I laugh and tell others, "I am never lost but I do wander around quite a bit." It's all part of the adventure!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, My Friend!
Yes, not lost, just wandering . . . I hear you, Lulu!
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It is easy to get lost in tangle of pavement and dirt. But to continue to stay at it to enjoy the benefits is a calling that makes that verse so important to follow in life. He takes care of the rest. Good reminder, sister.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Floyd! It is such a great verse, is it not?
DeleteLove and blessings!
What a great post Martha! Isn't it true that sometimes, try as hard as we may, we still make the wrong decision while trying hard not to... especially when it comes to driving and directions! I am pretty good at directions, but my husband is the champion of it all, and I'm glad to let him navigate, lol! So thankful that when we are doing our best to follow the Lord, even if we don't understand where we are going, or make mistakes following the directions given in His word, that He is faithful to gently correct our path. A beautiful parable eloquently shared! Blessings and hugs to you sweet friend :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words, Marilyn! It's good to know I'm not alone in the direction department. But yes, we can always rest in the knowledge that God will guide our steps, even when we stumble or take a wrong turn.
DeleteLove and blessings!