Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." — Isaiah 30:21
I don't remember the last time I was physically lost. It had to have been at some point driving in Houston before the introduction of GPS on cell phones. I remember having to carry a set of maps in my car to get around in the city. Now, all I need to do is speak where I want to go and the phone plots my path. I am unsure what I would do if the voice on the Waze app stopped guiding me to my destinations. Sometimes she takes me on a crazy route that makes no sense, on roads I didn't know existed, to perfectly emerge just beyond the obstacles on the freeway. I realize I have come to rely on her even when I know the way. I also have learned that when I think I know the way and go against her guidance, I end up stuck in some unforeseen traffic jam.
How often do we not listen to the voice that guides our way? How often do we choose to make our own path only to find ourselves in jams stickier than traffic? How often do we not speak our prayer and ask for direction? How often are we led down the unfamiliar and uncomfortable, only to realize at the end that God led us that way and was with us the whole time?
Be humbled when it is time to ask for directions. Be patient when you are asked to go through the obstacle instead of around it. Be grateful when you are given a folded map in times when you want turn-by-turn directions. Be aware that you are never alone.
