Navigation System

We are in the process of teaching our youngest daughter to drive. We’re going the parent taught route again. We made successful drivers out of our two older children so we feel like we’re reasonably qualified to teach another. There are so many correlations between our physical journey and our spiritual journey.

As I drove down the highway yesterday, I thought about how I didn’t need my navigation system. I knew where I was going and I knew the route to get there. I didn’t need signs to help me. I knew the route well. I did have to drive much slower because of bad weather but I still had no trouble getting to my destination. I’d gone that way before. I knew

Sometimes that is not the case though. We need the navigation system. Remember maps??? Like those massive paper fold out ones that filled up your whole front seat. You’d pull them out on the table before you left and pour over the routes to make sure you get it right. If you had to look at it while on the road you had to actually pull over to look at when we got lost. Yeah, that never happens anymore. Sidenote: I actually shredded some paper maps this past Christmas to make some really cool world map tree ornaments. haha! That was justice for me, therapy if you will, for not ever being able to fold it back up the right way. If you’re young and reading this, you probably have no clue what I’m talking about. Just be grateful and continue to happily click your instant gratification, must have it now, touch screen map.

Anyway… our navigation system usually gives us a play by play, in a Kiwi accent I might add, of what we need to do in order to get from where we are to where we need to go. It tells us in advance when a turn is coming so we can get into the right lane. You don’t even have to think about it unless there’s a malfunction of some sort or you lose satellite. Then you’re sunk. Wingin’ it. Lost. Late to the party.

Unless you prepared ahead.

When I pull up a route on my navigation system, I typically look at the overview just to have a general idea of where it’s taking me. i might miss a turn or make a wrong turn if Kiwi Katrina isn’t as prompt with her directions as I’d like her to be.

Isn’t that how it is with following God? We need His navigation system. Some of us generally know where we’re going but we have no clue how to get there. Some of us don’t really eve know where we are. We won’t get anywhere without a starting point and a destination. Sometimes we’re wingin’ it but if we’re following His navigation system, we’ll get there. His commands are never late. If we don’t hear them, it’s because of our malfunction, not His.

Missed turns, U turns, wrong turns… we’ll get there if we follow Him.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

~Andrea

This is a great song by Casting Crowns, Follow Me. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen.

At the end of myself
Judgment calls out my name
Ive been looking for love
But Im swallowed by shame
Throw away all your stones
Find forgiveness in Me
Let Me be your new passion
My daughter, you’re free