GPS – God Pleasing Spirituality
In October of last year I attended my best friend’s daughter’s wedding in Jacksonville, FL.
My friend and I first met when my family moved to northern Florida in 1963. Three years later we went off to college together – Bryan College in Dayton, TN. I kicked around through various colleges though he stayed the whole time at Bryan and we went in different directions though frequently interweaving. He was my Best Man at my wedding and I was a Groomsman in his. He taught school under my Dad for a couple of years,during a few months of which I took my Dad’s classes while he was injured. He had two girls, I had two boys. Once, when the kids were teens, we met in Atlanta and went to a Braves ball game.
He has been the kind of friend that is rare and I count myself extra specially blessed to have had him call me his friend. Ours is the kind of relationship that no matter how many years may go by, if we only talk on our birthdays, we pick up where we left off. No maneuvering or posturing, just right down to the meat and let’s get real.
So when he called to say his youngest was getting married, and that he didn’t expect me to be there but just wanted me to know, I had two thoughts: 1) thank you very much for telling me; I really do appreciate it and 2) I am going to surprise you and show up without you knowing it.
And I did.
Except that he was so nervous he didn’t dare show it, but he about fell over when I went up and hugged him right before the ceremony started!
There was just one problem with all this surprise thing that I didn’t think about.
I didn’t get all the notices for the reception, nor could I ask him how to get to the church. All I had was the address on the invitation!
So here I was, staying with my Sister about an hour west of Jax, having to get to the church on time but not having a clue where I was going. My days of living in northern Florida took me occasionally to Jax, but not often and not to the area where the church was. What to do? Didn’t want to ruin the surprise by letting others know I was coming.
My niece to the rescue!
She had recently been given a GPS (thought I’d never to get around to that, didn’t you?) so she programmed the church address into it, plugged it into my sister’s van and away I went! I felt like Abraham, going out but not knowing where he was going!
Now I’m the type that likes to have a visual as to where I am heading before I leave on trips. We call that a Map and Planning.
On this day I had no idea (kind of like I’ve lived my life). But here I was, on a schedule, driving through uncharted, for me, waters, looking for a place I knew not where.
And I wasn’t worried!
In fact, as I went along, this comforting voice kept talking to me, almost like God from heaven, telling me where to turn and when! It was awesome. Just sit back and drive and don’t worry. This device took me to the exact doorway, after taking me over railroad tracks and through a neighborhood that I don’t think was even on the map!
This was a spiritual experience! This was faith exemplified. Traveling the highway of life with only the destination in mind and absolutely no idea how to get there.
This just felt right. Wish every day would be so real.
Blessings,
Dr Jon
P.S. I raved so much about this GPS thing my boys gave me one of my own for Christmas. Love it!
