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“A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand their own way?”
Proverbs 20:24 (NIV)

Being directionally challenged, I have always thrown my hands up and said, “Please, no ‘North, South, East or West’ — I need ‘Left or Right’ – to anyone giving me directions.

Working up the greatest courage recently, I did my first ‘go it alone’ trip to see a friend in Angel Fire, New Mexico, about a 10-hour drive from my house. Being prepared, I had a Garmin GPS, my cell phone, and the GPS system on my car. Very quickly, I had to choose ONE when three different voices began telling me where to turn. Several times, I got into some trouble when my Garmin said, “Turn Left in 400 feet.”

Obviously, I need to figure out how far 400 feet is exactly as well as those compass points!

Recalculating

Turning 400 feet too early, I heard the word RECALCULATING — not once, but several times. Have you ever felt like your GPS had a ‘tone’ with you after having to recalculate several times? You know the tone, right? The same one you heard as a child and have used on your own children.

Even though I could ‘see’ on that GPS screen where I ‘should’ have been, the road I took was taking me far away from the path I needed to be on. Eventually, after an hour’s delay and some pretty scary moments on the “Mountain View” road, I made it to my friend’s home.

After I safely arrived back to my home several days later, I was reminded of the redirection God had brought me on over the last six years. What I concluded was that when God brings the ‘redirect’ in our lives, He leads, stays close, and equips us with all we need to get where He is leading.

When God redirects

There were plans my husband and I made, goals we hoped to achieve. We hoped there would be children, homes we would purchase, grandchildren one day, and then retirement.

Never did we think that one hot morning in Texas, a massive heart attack known as ‘the widow maker’ would change things, those plans – even life – completely.

My questions came.

“God I just don’t understand why this has happened. What good could ever come from Steve’s death?”

But God’s plans are way different than ours.

What happens when, in the middle of our life, the unforeseen happens and we must accept the ‘redirect’?

Similar to the story of Saul in the New Testament, our lives can be interrupted by God.

Our GPS would be shouting, “Recalculating! Recalculating!”

You can read the story of Saul (later called Paul) in Acts 9. Paul learned to trust God during the redirection of his life. I must be very honest — trust is something I work on moment by moment.

Our hardest path is not traveled alone.

“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

The GPS systems we use to get us to our desired destinations here on this earth do not know the big picture — God’s plan for our lives. They can offer no answers to hard questions or protect us from the hazards ahead, but our God can and does.

What is our destination ultimately? It is our eternal HOME – heaven. The path to get there is in His hands.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, we thank You for walking with us every moment. Please help us to trust You as You lead us Home — even in the redirecting of our paths. May we always be ready to share the way with others. Amen