I’m not a good traveler. If I am driving I am stressed, flying= stressed, riding with someone else driving= stressed (or asleep). Due to overbooking myself on trainings and conferences this year I have ended up driving after dark into areas that I am less than familiar with, specifically in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. It is after 10:00 pm and I am on roads I try to avoid in daylight, much less after dark. The navigation system insisted I go through artificially lit tunnels that reminded me of several tracks on Mario Cart, since I am not good at Mario Cart this fails to aid in my confidence. Shiny sports cars, large trucks and figures on motorcycles were flying by me as I drove the speed limit watching for the next turn so I can reach my destination. My navigation system will only tell me the next move, the next step that needs to take place for the ultimate goal. I didn’t know where I was or where I was going, I was only trusting that a small electronic device knew what it was doing. Then it struck me.

This is what God does.

While I know the ultimate destination is Heaven, I don’t know the route that God is going to take me to get there, I don’t know what path he is going to lead me on along the way. I am simply provided with one step at a time to reach this destination that God knows. It seems at times that each step and direction is so simplistic (turn right in 1.4 miles), or they may seem overwhelming (merge left then cross 4 lanes to take a left exit just to need the right hand lane to make a circular turn to get on some road that you obviously have to be on) but it is the next step. Just as my small electronic device is in tune to something much larger in order to function properly, I need to be in tune to something much larger to function properly.

Staying plugged in to the ultimate navigation will help to keep us on the right road. How often when traveling do we double check our system (I mean I know that 76 miles is a long time, but am I sure that I am on the right road?). How often do we do this with God? Okay God, are you sure you know where you are going? Are you sure you know where you are taking me. I mean 5 years is a long time, do you really know my path?

There were other times on my trip that I was told to get off the “right” road and take an access road or make what seemed to be strange turns, just to find out that there was an accident or road construction in which I would have been slowed down for hours. How do we handle it when God does the same thing? Maybe what we think to be the best path really is just a road block to what he has in store.

Let’s plug in.

God, help us to have strength as we learn to trust you. We know that you know where we are to go. Help use to clearly see your path for our lives as we wait for your direction. Amen.