In the course of my lifetime, I have done a great deal of car travel within the UK to interviews and business meetings. My secretary or my contact would tell me the address of the venue and after consulting the road map, I would make a note of the route to be followed to the town. If I had not been provided with a street map, then it became necessary to stop someone in the street and ask for directions. It's strange, isn't it that so many people you ask seem to be visitors to the town and can't help but eventually I would find someone who could point me in the right direction, almost invariably adding the famous words, "You can't miss it." You can!
Nowadays, finding your way around is made much easier with Satnavs. You simply fill in the address or postcode of your destination and the machine guides you to it. Sometimes, I am familiar with the first part of the journey and really only need help for the latter part. In some of these instances, "Sally" (as I've nicknamed my Satnav) tells me to follow a specific route but I know a shorter one so we have arguments!! If I persist in going my way, she soon forgives me and picks up new directions from that point onwards and invariably, she guides me to where I need to be.
The whole of life's a bit like that, isn't it? Sometimes we're not too clear where we're going or what we really want to do. These will be the times when we need to ask for help and guidance yet we have to give careful consideration to what we're offered because those who give it might be not have the necessary background to offer the correct advice. We might need the occasional nudge from someone to keep us from losing our way in life and it can be difficult at times to be sufficiently humble to appreciate that someone else does know better than us.
When Jesus first called his disciples to follow him, they didn't know where it might all end. However, they were willing to put their trust in Him to lead them safely to to complete their mission in life. If we commit ourselves to Him, we also can be assured that He will be our guide throughout our lives. May He be the guide to all of us.
Steve Campbell
Interim Moderator
Tel: 01284 787664
June 2010