Reason #311
I am in Houston for work this week. Everyone is traveling home from the holiday and I am traveling for work. Go figure. I have a love/hate relationship with traveling for work. I love being out of the office doing something different, but I hate being away from home. I miss my things, and more than that, I miss knowing my way around.
I have traveled a lot this year. In fact, if I were to make it to San Antonio within the next few weeks, I could pride myself on having driven in all of the big cities in Texas this year. Until today. I have never driven in Houston before, and really, it's not as bad as I anticipated. I got to the rental car company to find out I was being outfitted with a Fiat to drive. Basically, it's a smart car with a back seat. Really, I don't know why they put the back seat because no reasonably sized person could comfortably fit back there. My suit case hardly fit into the "trunk." Of course, I don't make driving the Fiat look at glamorous as J-Lo, but I've managed to get around in it just fine. As you well know, I am terrible with directions. Ask me how to get around Lubbock, and I can give you exact directions. Stick me in another town and I have no clue where to go. People from large cities like to give directions in the form of numbers. Example: "Take 45 south until it runs into 610 east and then turn on to 59 and blah blah blah..." This means nothing to me. I'm from small town Texas. Directions are given based on landmarks. Example: drive until you see the gas station, turn and cross over the railroad tracks. Keep going straight until you see the McDonald's and then turn and drive until you see the church..." Those are solid directions right there, my friends. Those make sense. It also hit me, as I landed in the Houston airport, that I was solely responsible for navigating myself around. No excuses. I had no one to help me since I was traveling alone. I don't know anyone that lives in the Houston area, so I had to be brave and pay attention. I knew this was going to be a challenge for me, and since I can't really read a map either, I had to eqiup myself for this adventure in a different manner.
Garmin to the resuce. Thank you, smart people, for not only creating a little device that knows the whole layout of planet earth, but also for giving it the ability to give verbal directions in an Australian accent. And so Garmin and I successfully navigated our way through Houston. I can't even begin to express how relieved and grateful I was for this little device, as it was my lifeline. Because if that little Australian accent wasn't telling me where to turn and when to turn, I would probably be suffering from cardiac arrest in an ER... somewhere. But Garmin knew where I needed to go and got me there. In fact, it even told me what time I was going to arrive. How's that for impressive? And it would warn me to take a turn in 1.4 miles or to stay in the right lane so that I could exit when I needed to. I don't know how it works. I don't know how Garmin can figure that out so quickly and accurately, but I didn't question it. I just did what it said to do, followed the directions I was given, and I made it safe and sound...and, surprisingly, not stressed out!
I'm thankful God does the same thing. Because He knows what lies ahead. He knows what curves we need to take, when we need to move, and when we need to stay right where we are. And I realize how many times in life I haven't listened to His guiding voice. I ventured off on my own, trying to get to the final destination only to take wrong turn after wrong turn. And how easy if I would have only listened. If I would have just trusted and waited to turn until He said turn. If I would have stayed on the path until He told me to exit. And so I had to learn the hard way. I had to get a little lost so that I realized I needed His help. I had to wander some until I finally admitted I was getting no where and needed to follow His instructions. And I can't tell you how relieved I was once I began listening to His voice, following His instructions, and ending up in the right place. How grateful I am that He'll tell me exactly when to act. I'm grateful that He prepares me for what's up ahead by showing me where to go, where to stay, and reminding me what to do as it gets closer.
So there comes a point when you have to stop questioning and just do what He says. Follow the directions you're given because He knows. He knows this whole word inside and out. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And so we can trust Him. We can trust every word He says. Every step He gives us is a step in the right directions. And when you listen, when you trust His guidance and allow Him to navigate you right to where you need to be, you'll be amazed at how easy it is.
#311 - Because we can always trust His every word knowing that every step He leads us is a step in the right direction.
"For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does." - Psalm 33:4
I have traveled a lot this year. In fact, if I were to make it to San Antonio within the next few weeks, I could pride myself on having driven in all of the big cities in Texas this year. Until today. I have never driven in Houston before, and really, it's not as bad as I anticipated. I got to the rental car company to find out I was being outfitted with a Fiat to drive. Basically, it's a smart car with a back seat. Really, I don't know why they put the back seat because no reasonably sized person could comfortably fit back there. My suit case hardly fit into the "trunk." Of course, I don't make driving the Fiat look at glamorous as J-Lo, but I've managed to get around in it just fine. As you well know, I am terrible with directions. Ask me how to get around Lubbock, and I can give you exact directions. Stick me in another town and I have no clue where to go. People from large cities like to give directions in the form of numbers. Example: "Take 45 south until it runs into 610 east and then turn on to 59 and blah blah blah..." This means nothing to me. I'm from small town Texas. Directions are given based on landmarks. Example: drive until you see the gas station, turn and cross over the railroad tracks. Keep going straight until you see the McDonald's and then turn and drive until you see the church..." Those are solid directions right there, my friends. Those make sense. It also hit me, as I landed in the Houston airport, that I was solely responsible for navigating myself around. No excuses. I had no one to help me since I was traveling alone. I don't know anyone that lives in the Houston area, so I had to be brave and pay attention. I knew this was going to be a challenge for me, and since I can't really read a map either, I had to eqiup myself for this adventure in a different manner.
Garmin to the resuce. Thank you, smart people, for not only creating a little device that knows the whole layout of planet earth, but also for giving it the ability to give verbal directions in an Australian accent. And so Garmin and I successfully navigated our way through Houston. I can't even begin to express how relieved and grateful I was for this little device, as it was my lifeline. Because if that little Australian accent wasn't telling me where to turn and when to turn, I would probably be suffering from cardiac arrest in an ER... somewhere. But Garmin knew where I needed to go and got me there. In fact, it even told me what time I was going to arrive. How's that for impressive? And it would warn me to take a turn in 1.4 miles or to stay in the right lane so that I could exit when I needed to. I don't know how it works. I don't know how Garmin can figure that out so quickly and accurately, but I didn't question it. I just did what it said to do, followed the directions I was given, and I made it safe and sound...and, surprisingly, not stressed out!
I'm thankful God does the same thing. Because He knows what lies ahead. He knows what curves we need to take, when we need to move, and when we need to stay right where we are. And I realize how many times in life I haven't listened to His guiding voice. I ventured off on my own, trying to get to the final destination only to take wrong turn after wrong turn. And how easy if I would have only listened. If I would have just trusted and waited to turn until He said turn. If I would have stayed on the path until He told me to exit. And so I had to learn the hard way. I had to get a little lost so that I realized I needed His help. I had to wander some until I finally admitted I was getting no where and needed to follow His instructions. And I can't tell you how relieved I was once I began listening to His voice, following His instructions, and ending up in the right place. How grateful I am that He'll tell me exactly when to act. I'm grateful that He prepares me for what's up ahead by showing me where to go, where to stay, and reminding me what to do as it gets closer.
So there comes a point when you have to stop questioning and just do what He says. Follow the directions you're given because He knows. He knows this whole word inside and out. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And so we can trust Him. We can trust every word He says. Every step He gives us is a step in the right directions. And when you listen, when you trust His guidance and allow Him to navigate you right to where you need to be, you'll be amazed at how easy it is.
#311 - Because we can always trust His every word knowing that every step He leads us is a step in the right direction.
"For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does." - Psalm 33:4
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