Missing the Turn

God has a way of teaching us in everyday situations. Today was my day to learn a valuable lesson in following directions.

How many times have we been given directions only to go a different way? Well, I know I have done it more times than I can remember. It is very embarrassing actually. I turned on my GPS to find the quickest route to get home after a meeting today. Like always, I was given the quickest route to get home. I was also shown other routes that could take longer. I chose the quickest route, and I started following the directions. That is until I missed an important turn. I had a couple of options, but the best option was to go up a little and make a legal u-turn. Did I do that? Absolutely not! Instead, I took another turn and went a completely different way thinking that I could bypass the traffic and chart my own way home. It was a very ambitious gamble, but I was willing to take it. The ride was supposed to take us 31 minutes, but it took us almost 1.5 hours! We added on extra time to get home just because I missed the turn.

I added on extra time and did a lot more than I needed to do because I missed the turn. That happens to us a lot in life. We ask for guidance only to ignore it! How silly! After receiving the proper guidance, we take our own turns and try to set our own paths. It makes things difficult and very hard. My wife and I sat in traffic for over an hour and we moved less than one mile due to construction. The GPS set a path for us to avoid the delay, but I decided to go that way anyway. 

The Holy Spirit guides us in the way we should go, but we try to set our own path. We miss the turns we are supposed to take. Instead of making a quick u-turn, we set out to chart our own course and path. We think that going a different way might cause us to skip some of the "traffic" along the way. What we fail to realize is that He put us on a course to avoid all of it. When we ignore His leadings, we are running head-on to what we desire to avoid.

If it seems like you are sitting still in the traffic of life, it might be wise to make a u-turn. Go the direction you've been given from the Holy Spirit, and don't miss the turns of life. Isn't it great that God has given us a roadmap to follow, which is His Holy Word! And He's given us a GPS, who is the Holy Spirit. We can avoid the detours of life if we are obedient and attentive to the guidance we are given. Don't miss the turns! If you have, make a quick u-turn and go on towards your destination!

Selah.

-Cornelius