Thursday, January 29, 2009

Power's Back On: IOW-Faith Steps, WFW, & Thankful Thursday

We've had a weather related disaster week! An outdoor faucet got bumped and the pipe broke clean off at the main line underground. Gushing water in the yard directed us to the problem and after hours of digging and mending in the snow/ice/rain mix, we had water coming out of the tap not the ground. Then the snow/ice/rain mix caused the downing of trees which snapped power lines...and we spent a day huddled in the living room around the fireplace. As a result of all these adventures, my posts this week are combined into this one.




My husband and I take spur of the moment mini-vacations all year long. Most of the trips are just for an afternoon or a single day. Our children got us a Garmin Nuvi for Christmas to make these little trips easier. The Nuvi is a global positioning device that uses signals from satellites to triangulate our location and that of whatever destination we tell it.

The first few days, we input my parents' address (8 miles away), a restaurant's name (15 miles away), and the mall bookstore (25 miles away). We had fun with it and my husband was (and still is) amazed at the technology that could fit in the palm of his hand and has the ability to take us from our home to any destination we told it.

On the Friday after Christmas my husband's aunt died in Akron, Ohio (a five-hour drive away). When we left for the funeral on Monday afternoon, all we took was an overnight bag, our cell phones, the address of the funeral home on a piece of paper, and the Nuvi. We put the address into the Nuvi and set off. We were amazed when, following the turn-by-turn directions, we arrived at the parking lot of the funeral home.

On the way home we encountered the first of several drawbacks to blind faith in technology. As we approached an interstate on-ramp and the Nuvi said, "turn right onto ramp," my husband turned right at the first turn he saw -- a road that ran parallel with the on-ramp. We had gotten accustomed to obeying the Nuvi's directions and momentarily ignored what our own eyes told us. After a trip to Nashville later that week, we finally started keeping our eyes and minds fully engaged in our travels, using the Nuvi as the tool it is meant to be.


Often our steps of faith are just like that week of learning and relearning we had. We have our ulitimate destination assured, but there are many turns and detours along the way. God expects us to be informed followers - not stepping out blindly - while trusting Him as we go. He gives us guidance through His word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Because the destination is already secured, it really isn't the point of the trip. Each step (and/or turn) on the journey is the point. Having faith in God and His leading -- trusting His good purpose because we have studied and understood His map (read the Bible and prayed), growing into the person He has called us to be...that is the point of the journey.

Lord, thank You for Your guidance and the trust You never break. Help my faith be strong and steady for the journey on which You have set me. Let me always look to You for the next step and the next. Amen.






5 comments:

Lori said...

I love the application you made here. Amen!! I got a Garmin for Christmas, but I have yet to use it yet (can't wait!). Have a wonderful day.

Laurie Ann said...

Great example! I truly enjoyed your post. Happy WFW & TT!

Jennifer said...

Wonderful visual illustration! I am so thankful that I don't have to depend on myself to get through this life that we live but with Jesus Christ as my guide...I can make it anywhere He leads.

Happy TT!

Denise said...

Very awesome my friend.

Miri said...

Glad your power's back on! And what a great illustration! Little steps of faith, not knowing where they'll take us. Stay warm where you are!