I think using a GPS is a pretty cool thing. It never ceases to amaze me that this little device can know exactly where your car is, tell you exactly where to go and exactly how far it is to your destination. Well, most of the time, anyway.
We borrowed a GPS to use on a recent jaunt to a flower show while I was visiting family. We had played around with it the night before, laughing as we programmed it to speak in different languages. Apparently, we played with it a little too much. As we swung onto the highway en route to Springfest, the friendly GPS lady said, “Stay on this road…for awhile”. Huh? Wasn’t she supposed to be telling us to stay on the highway for 4.2 miles or something like that? Awhile? What kind of GPS says to stay on the road for awhile?
We got a good laugh out of it, but it did reflect yet another life lesson. We knew we were on the right road, but the GPS lady wasn’t about to tell us how long we’d be on it. We just had to wait until she decided to speak again. And she did. When our exit came up, she very nicely said, “Exit in one mile”. We got to the flower show and had a delightful time.
God is like that sometimes. He’s told us to get on the road, but sometimes He’s not too quick to tell us how long we’ll be on it. He may just say “Stay on this road…for awhile.” We want details. We want timelines. We want to know just how long this particular scenery is going to last. But we just need to trust Him. For awhile. When it’s time to get off this road, He’ll speak. And we’ll arrive at the destination He had planned for us all along.
The destination is His choice, of course, but I wouldn’t mind if it included a few tulips and other smile-producing signs of Spring.
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21 NKJV
Anticipatience 
When the Lord leads us through valleys it may be all we see is darkness. It can be very hard to stay put and not find our own way out. Isn’t interesting though, when we do move towards our own way, both the GPS and the Lord let us go…but we hear “recalculating your direction”…
What a wonderful reminder of trusting in the Lord!
Thanks, Margaret! I love the “recalculating your direction” analogy. It makes one wonder how many times God has had to do that in our lives. God’s grace is a very good thing!
Good analogy!
good timing with these words, sharon. thanks!
and on a bit of an irreverent note – omar and i bought my dad the homer simpson voice for his gps last year. hilarious. our options were homer or burt reynolds…um, creepy.
Kate – at least the GPS lady sounded a little bit believable in spite of her lack of certainty. But if it had been the voice of Homer Simpson telling us to stay on the road for awhile, I think we would have been seeking alternative directions! And I never thought of Burt Reynolds as having a particularly memorable voice. Curious!