Follow the Leader

Follow the yellow brick road?

Although I have never followed a yellow brick road, that is one of my favorite movies. And if I ever found myself in Oz, I would follow that road blindly, looking for new friends all along the way! Oh, and I would definitely bring this guy with me, just for effect, if he were available!

My granddog looks like Toto...lol!

In northeast Ohio, there are no yellow brick roads or horses of a different color or flying monkeys. Perhaps this is a good thing. But without a yellow brick road, what do I follow? Who do I follow? How do I know where I am going? 

You see, even with the best of intentions, I am kind of a champion at getting lost. You read that right...one of my super powers is getting lost, geographically speaking. I can get lost walking through a moderately sized building just as easily as if I were driving in a new city. Side bar: I do not drive to new places very often. I have enough adventure trying to get to the places I actually know...I am directionally challenged!

Just this morning, I needed to get from one side of town to another, and I cannot remember ever needing to get between these two destinations before...and I need to pick up donuts along the way. So, early in the day I fired up Google Maps, plugged in points A and B and printed the paper map. That's right, I printed it out on paper. In my anxiety, I do not trust Google to give me correct directions while I am driving or tell me where I need to turn in enough time that I might actually turn there. I also worry that all of the Internet will mysteriously crash before I am anywhere near my favorite donut shop, and I will never make it to the donuts or to my final destination.

In my affliction, I am thankful for GPS, even though I do not always place my full trust in it. Honestly, what I do not trust is me. I know in my head that the GPS will usually tell me what I need to know to get where I need to go. In my heart, I am afraid that I will get lost. I am afraid that I will not follow well.

This is not an unfounded fear. Directionally speaking, I have often not followed directions well. The same is true whether I am driving a car or driving my life. I know where I want to be, and I know where I should go, but sometimes I am just not sure how to get there. I need a leader!

Thankfully, I have one. I have the best leader for navigating my life in Jesus. Remember "What Would Jesus Do?" in the 80s and 90s? It is a great question for figuring out if my life is moving in the right direction, and I know that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit will not steer me wrong. Even though I may find myself dealing with construction along the way, God will find a way to get me back on the right path. (Romans 8:28)

I know that God is the best leader because He knows everything, He is everywhere, and He has all the power. (Psalm 33:6)

I know that God leads me where I should go because He created me (Psalm 139:13-16), and Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be my guide. (John 16:7-8)

I know that God wants what is best for me because He loves me more than I can even imagine. (John 3:16)

So, there you have it. I may not always know where I am going, but God does. It may take  me longer if I do not follow the directions, but eventually I will get there. Along the way, there may be some adventure, but that only adds flavor to my life.

And today, on my journey from Point A to Point B, I made it just fine. Thank you, Jesus, for creating the brains that created GPS and printers.

Where are you going, friends? Wherever it might be, I hope you find Jesus along the way. Please do not follow me, if you know what is good for you!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

These guys followed Jesus too...