When I travel, I depend heavily on my GPS. Even if I know the route, I will turn it on anyway. There are a couple of reasons for this. I do this because if I am thinking about something else, off in my own world, I will miss a turn even when I know where it is. It has happened quite a few times. All of a sudden, I look around and realize I don’t know where I am. Now, that usually is not so much of a panic because I stay lost so much. Directionally challenged doesn’t begin to describe it. So I end up figuring out where I went off course and getting back to the right place. The other reason is because of these newer features on my GPS. Now the GPS will tell me if there is a roadblock, roadwork, an accident, or any other issue upcoming.
Yesterday as I traveled the interstate, I was making good time. I had to go through some fairly large cities so traffic was a concern. I left extra early and my arrival time reflected I would be 45 minutes early. That’s perfect. At some point in the trip, I looked down to see my arrival time begin to change. At first, I was going to be 30 minutes early, then 15. Before I knew it, the arrival time had me 30 minutes late! All the time, I am traveling along with no problems. What did the GPS know that I didn’t? It knew there had been an ‘incident’ that had blocked all the lanes of the interstate about 50 miles ahead. This was going to be an issue – except it wasn’t.
When I got close to the slow down, my GPS did this thing called “re-routing”. Normally I am not a fan of re-routing. I like to travel the same way all the time. I like the comfort of knowing where I am going and seeing familiar surroundings. I ride this road enough I know where the good places to eat and where the rest stops are. I don’t like to get off the path. I like the path. I know the path. In this case, though, I welcomed the scenery. The interesting thing is if I had not known about the incident ahead, I would have ignored my GPS and it’s need to re-route. I would have kept on going on my same path. Because there was something causing such a delay, I gladly followed wherever the GPS took me. And it worked. I ended up getting there in plenty of time.
Our lives get re-routed way too often, in my opinion. I like the sameness. I like the comfort of the beaten path. I like knowing what’s next and seeing the same scenery daily. There is a security in all of this. So when I am taken off path, I resist. I resist with every part of my being. I don’t want to. I like it the way it is. I know the other way may be better but I KNOW this way. Yet, God knows what’s ahead. And sometimes it can feel like he is carrying me straight through a crash site. Sometimes it feels like I am taken right through the trouble. In reality, he is guiding me where he needs me. He is taking care of me because he knows what is ahead. He is preparing me for the ‘incident’ and showing me the right way to go. The problem usually arises when I decide I don’t like the re-route and I stick to my own plan. And I usually end up late and frustrated and upset. I usually end up in a mess. I should have taken the re-route.
Today, maybe God is taking you on a path you never have approached before. Maybe you are on a journey that is unfamiliar and quite scary. The scenery is not what you are accustomed to seeing. You don’t recognize the signs or the landmarks. I challenge you to look to the Navigator. If God is directing your paths, there is nothing to fear. He knows what is ahead and he promises to be with us through it all. So go, follow, and be willing to be re-routed. You just may find God in the unfamiliar. He just might be waiting for you there.
Focus Scripture:
Matthew 4:20
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 