With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:10-11
A slight nervousness was detectable in her voice when she
called me from her cell phone. “Jenny, I’m lost,” she said. I had offered to
drive her, but she refused saying, “I can do it.” My elderly friend, desperately holding on to
her independence, had lost her way.
We were to meet for lunch, at a local restaurant not far from her
home. It was one we had frequented many times. The thought of my
friend driving, with poor sight, on a cell phone was enough to make me panic. I
maintained a calm voice when I asked her, “What do you see?” She could not see a
street sign, a billboard, or a specific building, her answer was simply,
“Houses.” At that point, I just wanted
to drop the phone, and go after her, but where was she? I wouldn’t even know
where to begin. I should have insisted that I drive.
I said a silent prayer for God to help both of us. I told her to pull over at the next possible opportunity,
and try to survey the surroundings. Suddenly, she was able to identify a
building. I managed to give her instructions, including one to hang up the
phone. When she arrived, I felt total relief that my dear sweet friend had made
it safely to the restaurant. I lifted a prayer of gratitude.
Losing our way is an experience that happens to most of us at one time or
another. Sometimes we get lost in the mayhem of chores, deadlines,
appointments, commitments, trials, and noise of life. Even in our zealous
church work, we can lose sight of our true love for God and others.
In all this cacophony and chaos, we suddenly realize, in
panic, we can’t hear the sweet voice of Jesus guiding us to our true
destination. We become anxious resulting in fatigue, less productivity, and
irritability. The problem is, if we had taken time to focus on God, we would
have never gotten lost in the first place. When we set aside quiet time for
God, we gain a much clearer prospective.
We look at a map to find our physical directions, so
likewise, we need to spend time in the Bible, which has the key to our
destination. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct thy paths.” Charging our cell phones, and filling our cars with gas,
gives them the power to work. We too need a recharging. Our priceless time with God in prayer and
meditation, will help us to do that. His Holy Spirit energizes us, grounds us,
and gives focus to the plans He has for us.
So, in the detours of our business, when we come to a
realization that we have lost our way, we need not panic. We just need to stop,
call on God, and reassess the situation through His eyes. He will faithfully
guide us safely back on the route designed for us. We never need to find
ourselves lost when we keep God as our guide.
Dear Lord, Help us to stay continually focused on you so
that we will be on the right path. Amen
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