God's Map-quest

October 09, 2009

When I was 11 or so, my family packed up the big old “poopy” brown station wagon and went on vacation to Kentucky to visit my dad’s family. We were packed in the old wagon like sardines. My dad, brother and grandfather sat in the front while us ladies, mom, granny and myself took the back seat. We had just spent a wonderful week in the mountains of Kentucky and it was time to go home. Waving our goodbyes, dad pulled the old station wagon out on the highway towards home.

Dad had insisted we travel through Chattanooga. So off we went map in hand and the best route planned. We had gone through Cumberland Gap and were enjoying the Smokey Mountains. Dad grabbed the trusted old map and pointed out there was a little tiny road that crossed through the mountains that would save us hours of travel time. Naturally, it was a short cut and Dad couldn’t resist an adventure.

The road was so winding and its curves had curves. It was a very narrow and I don’t believe we ever passed another soul on that road. With every twist and turn, we were getting car sick. We rolled down the windows because the old wagon began overheating from all the stress. Mixed with the heat and queasy stomaches, we were all miserable. This little short cut was 11 miles long and it took over an hour to drive. Our green faces and sweat pressed hair told our story once we reached the gas station at the end of the road.

Ya know, when ever we decide to take short cuts along the path God has given us, we can almost guarantee that sick queasy feeling warning us something is a muck. We may have the best intentions: to save time, money and sometimes to save ourselves from a hassle of one sort or another. Those intentions makes those short cuts seem so innocent or even part of God’s plan. And with that thinking, we get ourselves into trouble.

When we take short cuts or create short cuts for our benefit, we take the reins and put God in the passenger seat. We may have a map and think it will be easier to take the short cut but in the end we are in control….. Not God. On a personal note, I usually mess things up when I try out a short cut. God’s map-quest has a list of directions that must be followed by His standards, length, or full of twists and turns. Our job is to stay on the straight and narrow following the directions with full faith and full trust that God knows the way.

Besides, who likes feeling sick to their stomach???
Regina