Trading "MOGS" for GPS

I turned on the navigation system I'd downloaded to my phone. I didn't pay much attention to it. In my week's visit, I'd become familiar with the roads that led out of my sister's mountain community of western Virginia. Having previously traveled by plane, this time I was driving on my own. Estimated time to reach my destination in North Carolina to visit an old friend: three and a half hours.    

We said our goodbyes. After I pulled out of the driveway, I was soon rolling along on the highway. I turned up the music on the radio, taking in the beauty of the greenery, rivers, and mountains surrounding me. I didn't bother turning on GPS; the area looked familiar enough.    
A couple hours into the drive, I saw signs for intersecting highways ahead. The route signs didn't look familiar. Somewhere, I must have gotten off-track. I spotted a place where I could pull over on the side of the road. I picked up my phone to turn on GPS. "Not in Service." Oh, great. There I was, stuck out in the middle of nowhere. I had no phone service, no GPS, and no map.    

Why had I relied on what I thought I knew? My own guidance system, which I'll dub as  "MOGS," wasn't working. And neither was my phone's navigation system. Double whammy.  

I sucked in a deep breath. It would soon be dusk. I didn't know where I was, and I didn't know how I was going to get to my destination. The freeway bypassed the small towns, and I couldn't see them from the road. I had no way of knowing how far away they would be.   

Aa tears began to roll down my cheeks, I grabbed for a tissue, and out slid the palm-size Bible I kept in my purse. It was a pivotal moment. Why hadn't I depended on God? He hadn't been in my thoughts when I pulled out of the driveway that morning.  

If there was anything I needed right now, it was His help. I needed GPS, but I needed God's version. Perhaps it should be called "God's Positioning System." Desperate, I bowed my head--and prayed.      

It wasn't going to do me any good to sit at the side of the road and cry, so I switched on the ignition. I'd have to trust in Him. Traffic had increased, so it took a couple of minutes before I could pull back onto the freeway. The two interchanges loomed ahead. I had no idea which one to take. 

Suddenly, an older model white Cadillac pulled in front of me, causing me to put on my brakes.  Crazy driver. As I shook my head in disgust, I noticed a fading bumper sticker:  "Western Pines Resort." That's when the light bulb in my head went off. Wescliff, Pinecrest. Those were the names of the towns closest to my destination! 

I smiled. Listed on the sign ahead, among other towns, was Wescliff and Pinecrest. My own system hadn't worked, but God's had. Thank goodness for ​His GPS. It's one I can always count on.  



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