Learning to Follow Our True GPS ...with John again

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Friends, we are never lost because . . .

Lesson #3. God is our GPS on trips and in life.

I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
    but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.
Psalm 139: 7-12 NLT

sunrise over the catalina mountains

So much new territory to navigate in our journey from Ohio through many states and on into Tucson. We successfully used our car GPS for the majority of the trip. But we experienced His Abiding Presence to be our best GPS of all. The most stressful part of the trip turned out to be finding our way to the hotel in Albuquerque, NM.

John the driver will again tell you how it played out …

As we approached our hotel located along I-40 in downtown Albuquerque, Siri was firmly but calmly saying, “Take the exit,” which I obediently did. However, inadvertently, just at that point we somehow silenced Siri. She still had the advancing blue line on the map, but we could not hear her calm instructions.

To begin with this area of downtown Albuquerque is a little tangled, unlike the wide-open spaces of Santa Rosa, New Mexico, where we had stopped briefly that day. So, when the silent advancing blue line showed where we were supposed to turn, I glanced there and saw a chain-link fence facing me. So, I did not turn, and as a result missed my turn. I turned into a parking lot and Siri continued to lead us on a tortuous path through that lot, the hotel being just a stone’s throw across a concrete drainage ditch, ultimately abandoning us at a closed gate.

At that point I was a little unhinged with the state of our journey. I should have stopped, taken a deep breath, settled myself, and looked at the map together with my co-pilot [Jan], rather than trusting in Silent Siri.

But, after retracing our path to the street we had turned off, I restarted Apple Maps and Silent Siri’s blue line of truth put us back on that street and tried to get us on an around-the-block maneuver to get us to the hotel. Just then my living personal map assistant, “Jan-iri,” chimed in and said, “Take a right here to the street to the hotel.”  The voice of the dependable map-reading friend beside me was the source of guidance I needed.

Let me (“Jan-iri”) explain. The entire time we had been lost, I was looking at the map praying. And eventually clarity came as I, in a sense, heard the (inaudible)Voice:

“This is the way, (drive) ye in it …” [my loose rendition of KJV Isaiah 30:21]

And so we made it to the hotel and ultimately to the AZ border safe and sound and rejoicing!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3 NLT

john, the AZ native son, is home.

YOUR TURN, dear Reader

  • Have you ever depended on the Lord to be your GPS in life?

  • Do you realize that you and those precious loved ones are never lost if you have Him. Why? Because He has you and them. A great comfort to us parents and grandparents.

  • I would love to hear your stories if you care to share in the comments.

  • Now enjoy this beautiful rendition of the truths of Psalm 139… it moves me to tears every time. Thanks, Cindy Burban for sharing.