Life Doesn’t Come With a Manual! But it Does Come With a GPS!

Wayne knows I have NO sense of direction, so when I’m going somewhere I’ve never been, he pulls the map up for me on my phone. (I’m telling you this man is the best!)

Yes, I know how to do it, but he wants to make sure that HE explains the directions to me. (That just one more way that man shows me how much he loves me! Thank you, Father, for my awesome husband!)

And then he explains them to me again and again until all the landmarks and road names are just a jumble in my head. (There is a delicate balance between gathering information and information overload!)

I’m very intelligent,

(I’m trying to be positive here!), but…(You know what but means don’t you? It means forget the first part, cause I’m about to tell you the real truth!). When it comes to directions, well, let’s just say I’ve gotten lost more times than I care to mention.

I was going to pick up one of my friend’s relatives recently to take her to the airport. (The pressure is on! Got to be on time, Pat!) Wayne went through his routine, naming a church where we had once attended as one of the landmarks. Then he told me to get on the service road and back track a short distance to turn into the neighborhood, where the lady I was picking up was staying.

Well, I forgot that this particular church had another location down from where I thought Wayne was referring to and the only service road I knew anything about, was off the road of the old location of the church and not the newer location he had assigned as my landmark. When I got to “my” landmark, not the right one, but my landmark just the same, I turned onto the service road and looked for the neighborhood. I drove several streets when I realized my GPS was rerouting me.

I got back on the main road, returned to my landmark and for the second time turned onto the service road. I turned into some subdivisions. Yes, more than one.

The audio on the GPS was not on, so I had to try to find my way without the friendly voice of my guide. I went up and down the service road looking for the subdivision. There’s one thing you can say about me; I was persistent.

I got back on the major highway, headed for my landmark when I finally called Wayne with a frantic plea for directions. I wasn’t lost, but I couldn’t figure out how to get where I wanted to go either.

When he finally figured out where I was, he explained where the correct landmark was, about two miles down the road, where there was another service road that took me to the right neighborhood, the right street and the right house. Hallelujah!

• I was using the wrong landmark.
• I couldn’t hear the voice of my guide.
• I had never been to that place before.
• I thought I knew more than I did.
• I needed help! But I didn’t want to call!
• (Sound like life in general to you?)

So later that week I was off to a another meeting.

Wayne pulled my phone out of my purse and typed in the address. Again, he explained. I listened, but this time, I had one request. Will you please turn on the voice? I can’t watch the map and drive.

I turned off the radio. I rolled up the windows to eliminate any road noise. I listened when she spoke. I watched the road signs. I followed her directions. And I made it there without getting lost a single time. No circles! Hallelujah! No back tracking. No frantic calls that panics my sweet husband.

Sweet victory! Sweet peace, because although I didn’t know how to get there, my GPS did.

Life doesn’t come with a manual, but it does come with a GPS.

A voice, His voice. The voice of His Spirit that knows where we need to go and how to get us there.

His voice doesn’t come with an amplifier, and it’s often gentle and quiet.

So we have to learn to pay attention.

He speaks to our spirit, not our ears most of the time, so that’s a totally different skill set that many of us never learn.

But, it’s a real life changer for those of us that do learn.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me John 10:27

And thank you Father, that you are my loving shepherd.

You lead me.

You guide me.

You nourish me

and provide for me.

I love your voice.

• It is gentle when I fall
• and firm when I rebel.

You love me too much to leave me to flounder and flail so you speak to my spirit through

• your Word,
• through ministers
• and people.
• Another great promise!

I will guide you along the path that is best for your life. Psalms 32:8 NLT

Talking to me, showing me how to get where you want me to go, is just one more way you show me how much you love me. (Just one more reason I love my Heavenly Father!)

And you? He wants to guide you!

• Daily
• Personally
• In tough times.
• In great times.
• When you’re stubborn.
• When you’re listening.
• When you think you know how to get there yourself! (Man, have I been there before! Too many times to mention.)

 

I deliberately quiet my spirit to hear your voice, because it is so precious to me!

• Your voice is powerful, yet calming.
• Loving, yet correcting.
• Your voice brings life.
• I am amazed at that fact.
• Your voice is still creating beautiful things.
  • In me.
  • In my friends.
  • In my family.

I love that about you, Father!

Thank you for choosing to guide us with your voice,

instead of a manual.

You created the whole world with words released in your voice and that is so cool.

And that same voice speaks to me…WOW!

Do you remember what WOW means? Check out my older post. God’s Billboard- My Reminder