Recalculating

On our trip home from SC last weekend, we took a short detour and then needed to get back onto I85 by the shortest route. Miss Garmin, our faithful GPS guide, directed us by street names in an area that had five corners and a set of railroad tracks.

So, we tried to follow, but kept turning the wrong way. Each time, she yanked us back by saying "Recalculating" and we knew that we had to turn around and make another try. We finally got on the right road and found the Interstate in no time.

The experience left me thinking about the mess we all get ourselves into when we try to hurry up God's timing or go off on our own without waiting for God's guidance. God is left to do a lot  of "Recalculating" to get us out of the fix that we have created. Romans 8 promises that everything happens for the good, but sometimes we make that a very hard outcome to achieve.

Of course, nothing is impossible for God, but when we try to make a right turn in the middle of the block instead of waiting until we get to the corner, there's a nasty accident and a big repair bill owed to the property owner.

God is the only one who sees around corners and waiting on God to come through at the right time is the answer to our worries. It's just that when God seems to be delaying, we want to take matters into our own hands and do something - anything - to move the situation along. That's when the Holy Spirit says with a sigh, "Recalculating."

(Note: The Holy Spirit must be really trying to get this message out because weeks after this post, a column with a similar theme appeared in a newspaper I read!)