It was one of THOSE days. You know—you start out with great intentions and somehow it goes all off track. I had a meeting in a town I don’t normally go to. I got my directions nailed down and made it to the meeting, arriving a few minutes early. That part went fine. Then I decided to make a stop before coming home. I started to follow the directions but then decided I’d like to drive around to see familiar sites from long ago. Before I knew it, I was way off course. I tried to return to the path but didn’t know how to do so.
I kept turning, circling, trying to find my way back. After too long a time, I finally got out the GPS system and let it guide me to the place I wanted to visit. Somehow, having to turn to the GPS to find my way felt like I was admitting defeat. As I was driving home I realized that what had felt like defeat had been the only way to success. Furthermore, I realized that the real problem was pride, plain and simple.
We do this to ourselves all the time. We get a plan in place, set out to accomplish it without the full information or necessary tools, and then get ourselves in a mess. It doesn’t apply just to finding our way to new places (or nearly forgotten old places). It applies to everything in life. Very often what we leave behind is God and God’s Word.
Sometimes, we get so busy with our own plans we forget to ask God what plans are in place for us. We go through our morning routine of getting up and out of the house and sometimes forget to pause, focus on God, and ask God to guide our day. During the day, we continue with our plans and feel we must do it on our own rather than admit we need God’s help. At the end of the day, we find we are so tired we don’t have time for God either.
Then we wonder why we feel lost somehow. God’s Word, which refers to both the Bible and to Jesus himself, gives us direction for how to live our lives. Some of scripture is difficult to understand but reading about the life of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John is easier to read and understand. Try reading one paragraph or one chapter of one of those books daily. If that is too much, then commit to read on one day per week and stick to it.
Next time you leave the house, remember to take God with you! You may still feel lost from time to time but God will help you find your way. The more you often you turn to God, the more natural it becomes. The more often you turn to God, the more natural it is to trust that God is holding you in love and grace, ready to guide you home.
Pastor Ann