Yesterday was a big day for my kiddos. They’ve been volunteering for a local film project, and yesterday was auditions in downtown Seattle. My kids were helping to run the auditions, and so they left relatively early in the morning with their lunches packed, and money in their pockets for a quick dinner on the way home after staying late.
Neither of my two drivers has ever driven by themselves in downtown Seattle with its narrow crowded streets through the highrises, its steady stream of pedestrians, and its one way streets everywhere. I find Seattle driving very confusing. I’ve gotten lost nearly every time I’ve driven in downtown Seattle, so much so that when Marilyn once took me on a tour, I had to keep saying, “Hey, I think I got lost here before!” when I was recognizing the scenery.
As my children were getting ready to leave, I kissed their faces, and admonished them to be safe, “Help Rachel when she’s driving with directions and watching for danger, stick together, and don’t go anywhere alone.” With my love, my concern and my prayers, I waved good-bye.
My concern for them was slightly softened by knowing they were taking our GPS with them. When my husband first got the GPS several months back, I wondered what we would need it for, but now that I have it, I find it so handy!
Tonight over dinner, the kids and I were talking about how much the GPS is like the Holy Spirit. The GPS knows where we’re going, even when we don’t. It has the path laid out before us, but it only shows us and gives instruction for what we can handle at any given time. As long as we follow each instruction as it comes, we’ll get to where we need to go. We know the destination, but we don’t have to know the way to get there because the GPS does.
While we were talking, the kids began to refer to how the Holy Spirit guides us through our conscience as ‘God’s Positioning System’—GPS.
Sometimes when we’re in the car and having a lively conversation, the GPS interrupts us with instruction. Has that ever happened to you? You’re going about your day doing your own thing, and suddenly, there’s the Lord speaking through your conscience, letting you know what you need to do. Sometimes in the car we tell the GPS to be quiet because we were talking, but we know if we do that when we’re dependent on the GPS to get us where we’re going, we will end up losing our way. We must stop doing our own thing in order to listen and obey.
Another thing I love about the GPS is that it finds me right where I am, even if I’ve made a wrong turn. It has a plan to get me to my destination, but if I get off track and go the wrong way, it recalculates and makes a new path for me that starts right where I am. I don’t have to get myself back to the place where I went wrong before it will give me direction again. It gets me going on a new path starting right where I am.
I’m so thankful the Lord does this too. If you’ve found that on occasion you take a wrong turn and find yourself off the path of learning how to love much and love well, the Lord has the path of righteousness right at your feet. Cry out to Him and begin to listen again. He can show you how to get moving toward His ways again.
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