Summer is the time for vacations and camping trips. Many families enjoy traveling to see relatives, splash in the ocean, or see new sights. Thankfully we are freer to do that this year due to vaccinations and the retreat of coronavirus.
A few weeks ago, Nancy and I traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to do some shopping and be inspired by the story of Esther at Sight and Sound Theatre. It was a fun getaway and an opportunity to enjoy some different scenery.
As our time there came to an end, we turned the car south to begin our return trip. To navigate through some ever-present construction and complicated interchanges, we employed our trusty GPS.
In an effort to get us home by the fastest route, she selected one that included mostly interstate highways. Because we enjoy the rural countryside of southern Pennsylvania, we decided to travel on Route 15 instead and come through Harper’s Ferry. This route cuts off at Harrisburg, which we followed, but the GPS began insisting that we connect to Interstate 81.
Anyone who has ever used a GPS knows what they do as soon as you deviate from their chosen routes. She repeatedly admonished us to take alternate roads to get us back on what she considered to be the “right” one. “When possible, make a legal U-turn.” “Turn right at the next light and follow to the Interstate.”
On and on she went feverishly endeavoring to correct our errant ways at every intersection. More than once I threatened to turn her off, but I needed her help later in the trip. I know I could have reset her or made other changes to eliminate her annoyances, but I kept listening anyway.
Finally, after many, many miles, the GPS eventually let us go our own way and readjusted to Route 15. It cleared its software of I-81 and refocused on a new plan.
This experience reminded me of the way we often live. Most of us want to live lives that are full and bless others. We want to avoid unnecessary pain and delays and grab the most gusto possible. And so we choose our routes accordingly. As children we may have started out to do all that while obeying Jesus.
But as we began to travel the life’s roads, we got sidetracked by money, pleasure, or worldly pursuits. We abandoned the pathways we initially set out to follow in favor of ones filled with sinful potholes and dangerous curves. No worries, we’re experienced drivers, right? We can manage OK and still arrange to arrive at our desired location.
All along the way, however, God tries to get us back on track. Through His Holy Word, He gently nudges us towards a better route. Through Sunday School teachers, pastors, Christian relatives, neighbors, and coworkers, He constantly tries to get us reoriented to Him and His ways.
If we consistently ignore all of these gentle reminders, however, eventually God backs off and lets us follow the routes of our own choosing. It hurts Him to do so because of the pain He knows we’ll experience that He wanted to spare us from, but we’ve persistently rejected all of His loving attempts.
Unlike our highway network, God’s route and ours don’t all lead to the same destination. The endpoints of each could not be more different. It behooves us to research and discover where the routes we’re traveling will eventually take us. If those locations are not where we want to end up, we need to make course corrections immediately.
As long as we have breath, we still have the opportunity to detour and get back on God’s best route, but it usually becomes more difficult the longer we travel on the wrong roads. Let’s study God’s roadmap to be sure we’re following His way and make whatever U-turns necessary to get back on His route.
Blessings, George