God’s GPS

It’s seems like I’m always getting lost. It doesn’t matter if I’ve printed off the directions, spent time checking out what turns look like on Google’s street view or even talked through the directions with my Mom a million times. It’s inevitable.

Worst thing is, with no smart phone or GPS, I have to resign to the fact that I will have to call my Dad for help. I’ll pull off into a gas station parking lot and dial the seven digits of my Dad’s cell phone.

The conversation is always the same. I ask if he’s familiar with the area (most likely I’m lost in downtown Austin) and he’ll ask me why I didn’t pay more attention to where I was going. My answer is always the same, “Dad, I did know where I was going – I just don’t know what happened.”

It’s no secret that you can get lost in life too. How many times have I sat in church knowing that I had it all planned out, I had the destination and directions in hand, but somehow I didn’t make it there?

I feel like I’ve taken a wrong turn here and there. I always figured that when I graduated college I’d have my diploma in hand, I would be moving from my college apartment to my ‘big girl’ place and show up to my first job on Monday ready to start the rest of my life.

But, it hasn’t. I do have my diploma in hand, I’m back living with my parents and I’m still on the hunt for that ‘big girl’ job out there in the world. Although it’s not what I thought was ideal it’s been a blessing in disguise. I’ve become a part of Austin CNM and been able to combine my passion for social media, communication and public relations with my faith. I’ve been able to focus on some projects with the Catholic student center that I wouldn’t have had the time to do if I had already started my career.

It is written that “your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). There is a plan for our lives whether we know it or not. Although we can be impatient and unwilling to wait, through prayer and discernment we can uncover the path that God has for us. In a sense, we’re searching for a clarification in the directions for our life.

It may sometimes seem like you’re the only one struggling with whatever is weighing you down, but “it is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). No matter what you find yourself going through, God is always there. You are never alone.

It’s more often easier said than done, to lift up your worries and fears to God. We want to a sense of control of our lives, that we can somehow influence the outcome into something that we think is supposed to be. I have a feeling as long as we try to forge ahead without consulting God for direction, we could just find ourselves still lost and confused.

It’s not easy, I have difficulty with this every day. Little by little I have to pray and ask for the help to surrender my worries and fears to Him.

As for me getting lost on my trips to Austin? I’m thankful that my Dad always seems to know where I am, he’s always willing to help me get right back on track and I always seem to make it to my destination knowing that I can find my way back without getting lost again.