Never travel without your GPS

 

Today, I enjoyed a Sunday trip out to the mountains. The nature around southern Norway is absolutely spectacular, whether you head for the coast or up in the mountains. I love both! After a walk in the forest and a cup of coffee, seated on a pile of chopped tree trunks, I headed back to the car. It was getting late and the sun was going down. 

I am not the best with directions, so I used the satellite function of Google Maps to be sure I took the best route home. On my way, I took a deliberate detour, since there was a beautiful stretch of road and I wanted to explore a little path. I heard the sound of my GPS re-routing. In this case, it involved a U-turn. This was not a big deal, as I could easily return to my route. 

I was reminded, however, of the number of times I have got lost, not paying attention to the GPS, taking a deliberate U-turn or thinking I know better than Google. The great thing is that, when it is working efficiently, Google can re-route and you can easily end up at your destination even if it takes slightly longer. You don't need necessarily to retrace your steps exactly to the point where you went off course and then automatically follow the ORIGINAL PATH. 

I wonder how many times in my life God has had to re-route to get me where I should be. I think it is countless times! However, the wonderful thing is that if I am off course for any reason, I don't need to take matters into my own hands, switch off the GPS until I get back to the point of departure and then switch it on and follow the original path. The important thing is that, despite the wrong turn, God is with me NOW, and He knows far better than me how to get me from the new point and to the destination He has for me. 

I am not saying we shouldn't consider our wrong turns, learn from them and, if necessary, repent. That is another matter! But the picture represents for me a comforting and inspiring truth, that God is ALWAYS with me. He NEVER leaves me, even when I go wrong, and He is able to weave my new course somehow, into his original plan for me.

As a 55-year old who has been many places and done many things, I can look back on steps that have been right, steps that have been wrong, and steps I am still not quite sure whether they were right or not. But as I seek to be led by the Holy Spirit, I know deep in my soul that God is faithful, and that He will continue to bring me into all that He has for me. If I take a wrong turn, the Holy Spirit GPS will somehow weave it into His plan. What a sovereign, faithful, gracious God who gives us room to explore, learn and even to make mistakes. Never travel without your GPS!