We decided to do something wild and crazy. We rented a car in Florence and spent two days driving around Tuscany. We wanted to see some of the little towns not so accessible by bus or train. The adventure took on epic proportions for Linda. Because my license had been stolen in Rome we had to rent the car in her name and she had to drive. We did do the smart thing and rent a GPS. She was the pilot, I was the co-pilot, but we were both taking our cues from Mr. Garmin.
Now Mr Garmin is a smart fellow and knew exactly how to get us from point A to point B. The problem was that we were not so good at following his directions and got confused at times – which caused us to get off course, frustrated, angry, and emotionally distraught. At times we felt like we were traveling in circles and wondered if we would ever get where we wanted to go.
A parallel can be made to the Christian life. God has given us His Word to teach us, to direct us, and to equip us for the journey. He knows how best to get us from point A to point B. If we listen carefully, pay attention, and follow His instructions explicitly then we will avoid a lot frustration, anger, and heartache.
When we got to our final destination in Tuscany there was much rejoicing. It was gorgeous; it fulfilled our hopes and dreams; it provided rest for our weariness and gladness for our hearts. This is the experience of believers who trust in God, seek Him, and listen to His Word. Our final destination is going to be awesome.
A few thoughts about our Tuscany adventure:
– We would have been utterly lost without the help of the GPS. As strangers in a strange land we depended on ” the voice” to get us where we needed to be. Without it we would probably somewhere in Germany right now.
– “The voice” did not always take us on the quickest route. Sometimes it was the scenic route. Sometimes it was a route designed to avoid trouble.
– We didn’t always like the route that “the voice” took us on but it did always get us where we needed to be.
I think you can make the obvious parallels to these thoughts.
We enjoyed a fun, full two days in Tuscany as we got spent time in Gaiole in Chianti, Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, and Pisa. More adventures on the horizon.
Next Stop: Cinque Terre