Jesus GPS

My brother had me cracking up on the phone on Tuesday!

I have been traveling a little for my business the last couple of days. My destination was the town where my Aunt Tud (I have no idea where she got that name…her real name was Marian) lived. We used to visit her there almost every summer as a family. I have many fond memories there of her home and the times we spent with her there. She passed away in 1993.

I was trying to think how long it had been since I had visited there. I was thinking I must have been high school age, but Bill reminded me that we were at her home during the days we were there for her funeral in 1993. Either way, it had been a long time.

One thing I really wanted to do on this trip was to try to find where she lived…to see if I could take one more look at her home and try to recall a few more memories there. I turned onto a street that looked somewhat familiar off the main road. I thought to myself, “If I’m on the right road, the care center Aunt Tud used to work at should be up ahead on the left.” Sure enough…it was! I knew I was headed in the right direction. I knew next that I needed to take a right on one of the streets. I saw a street sign that I thought said Farlane Terrace. That didn’t sound right. I kept going. The next street I saw was Briarwood. I knew that wasn’t correct. I kept going. The next street didn’t sound correct either. I made a u-turn and went back in the direction I came. When I got to the Farlane Terrace road, I realize I read that wrong the first time…it was Fairlane Terrace, not Farlane Terrace! (Do I need to get my eyes checked?) Yes, Fairlane Terrace was it! I took a left.

My next obstacle was trying to remember what Tud’s home looked like. I saw one that was gray…it looked exactly like her home when coming up to it, but once in front of it, I realized it was a duplex. That wasn’t it. Then I saw it…it still was a creamish tan color. The front steps looked the same. The driveway, the garage, and the patio area where I remember hanging out as a kid looked the same. It was her home. 1316 Fairlane Terrace. Many memories flooded my mind in what seemed like just a few seconds. I could have sat out front in my car and continued to let my mind take me back in time, but I thought I had better not, in case someone would be wondering why this car with out-of-state license plates was sitting in front of their home! I enjoyed those few minutes there!

I called my brother Pat, and told him that I found Aunt Tud’s house. He was surprised that I would be able to find it, and didn’t think he would be able to if he tried it on his own. We talked for few minutes about that, then he said, “Too bad you didn’t have a GPS.” I agreed. Then he said something that totally cracked me up…he said, “I guess you had Jesus GPS.” I thought that was brilliant…and funny! (That may be the title of the next sermon I give at church!)

My tendency, from past experience, is to give God the glory for helping me do such things. I know that on my own, I’m not capable of doing much. 🙂 But I do believe God equips us and guides us in situations, even when we do not ask or do not even realize He’s helping us. The Bible has many examples of that. Sometimes Pat will say things like he did, just to make me laugh or to jab me a little. But with his comment, I thought, “How true!”

Jesus is our GPS…IF WE ALLOW HIM TO BE! If we followed His leading all the time, we would have less tendency to get lost, go the wrong direction, end up where we shouldn’t be, and we would be much less frustrated. Don’t you agree?

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

The Message translation puts it this way, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”

The Bible is our road map. It helps us start out in the right direction, it guides us to live rightly, and it helps us to keep our focus on our final destination. And sometimes we need more details, just like what a GPS provides. Jesus is the one to give us those details, if we will pay attention and listen. Things like, “Should we turn right or left?” “Should I take this job or wait for something else?” “Do I buy this new car or limp along my current vehicle?” “Do I take a leap of faith here and trust, or should I stay where I’m comfortable?” Jesus is our true GPS! My brother Pat came up with something that is believe is brilliant, and so truthful!