The Map

I've been thinking lately about everything that has changed over time through technology.  Especially as my daughters are getting older and one is off to College while the other is getting ready to drive.  I look back and remember my younger years of navigating through life with a notepad of ideas about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.  I had to make all decisions on my own.  I did not have the influence of google or social media.  I didn't have instant communication or even an instant map to give me directions or guide my way.

It's hard for my kids to comprehend how one could go through life without a computer, a cell phone, Siri, Snapchat, Instagram, or Google.  When I decided to venture across the country as a young person, I was ready to take on the world.  Still, I had to rely on a paper map to navigate my way.

I have told my kids of my many experiences traveling across the country, including having to stop to make calls via a pay phone.  I remember when I came into a Colorado town late at night, ready to head over the mountains but stopped first for a cup of coffee as I was getting pretty tired.  A super sweet older couple who ran a bed and breakfast and coffee shop talked me into staying the night because of the black ice on the mountains, which I was unfamiliar with.  I was anxious to get to my destination.  Still, I listened to them and stayed the night, which was a blessing.  When I left the following day, there was a very slick ice coating on some roads towards the top of the mountains, which was extremely dangerous.  

I prayed a lot on my first trip across the country by myself, and I believe God was watching over me and led me to that coffee shop.  I also think our lives are probably mapped out before we know it.  But, along the way, we take detours until we finally arrive at our chosen destination.  It's the detours that teach us many things and help us to learn and grow, to understand and to know what we need and what we don't.  The shortcuts, the construction zones, the closed roads, and the hazardous highways eventually point us in the right direction.  

Today, I thank God for google maps and cell phones.  It's almost hard to remember how we did it without them.  Unfortunately, there is no written map for our life.  Suppose we try to map out every aspect of our lives without leaving room to change direction.  In that case, we can experience some significant disappointments.  My advice is to search your heart, make a plan, write it down, and know that there will always be detours along the way.

One of my favorite bible verses on this is Proverbs 3:5-6.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.  Trust God, have faith, and follow your heart; your map will continue to lead you in the right direction.

My affirmation for you this week is;

"I am following the map of my heart and will trust the final destination."