Check Your Map

Prose
Direction, Faith
August 2, 2021

This morning, I had a meeting at an unfamiliar location, so I used the map. As I alighted the bus at my first stop, I instinctively began figuring out where to catch the next bus. I noticed bus 89 was on the signpost as one of the bus lines that were assigned to this stop. I also saw a passenger from the previous bus who seemed to be headed to the same location. Bingo! “This must be the bus to meet my next stop”, I thought.

A few minutes later, this fellow passenger headed away from the bus stop and turned into the next street. Completely baffled, I stared at him as he ran in the rain. He got to the bus stop there and stopped. With question marks hanging around in my head, I looked at my map.

Oops!

I was at the wrong stop. I followed the map to the stop indicated for my route and arrived there to see that it also had an “89” on the bus stop signpost.

I just kept thinking to myself, “Why did you stop following the map?
Why did you look around and pick cues as your guide?” Why did you not continue to stay focused on the guide that led you here in the first place?”

I reflected on how we do this with our lives. We start on our journeys, following the navigator: God’s instruction, God’s word, God’s leading. Then at some point, we think we have gotten so familiar with the path, we can figure things out ourselves. From what we have come to know or assume, we pick cues to guide us, ignoring the navigator that’s present with us. We think we do not need to refer to the navigator cause we believe we have figured how things should play out. We try ourselves, till we realize we are off route.

As I reflected, I found it interesting that I have been relearning to sit with the navigator and maintain this focus. For analytical and organized minds, I find that the inherent need to be in control is the battle.

If we really ask ourselves, we might learn that we feel secure with some control. We gain security from knowing what will happen, how and when. But in following God, we don’t get to be in control; that’s the role of the navigator. Our role is to consult the navigator and follow the guide, instruction after instruction; phase after phase.

Check your map.