Occasionally in life, each of us has to stop, look around and figure out which direction we are headed. Some of us, troopers, can set our sights on goals, move ahead and get near to where we were headed. Others of us, need to constantly look around and see if we are where we intended to be.
About a year ago we took at road trip with family. We all piled in the mini-van. We were ready for the day and excitied about where we were going. One member, proud of his new GPS sytem installed it on the front windshield of my mini-van. This GPS was a super, duper one. It had multiple voices, was a no-fail, high tech, wonder. No more debates about where we were headed or how we were going to get there. Now we had the latest technological gadget to guide us there. At the touch of a knob, a cool, dispassionate female voice instructed us, turn here, go left, go right. Her calm voice would advise us on our progress. I waited quietly to see how this would work out. 
Well, sometimes the best things can go wrong. We got insnared in a traffic jam on I-5 in Portland, time began ticking away, the scheduled appointment time loomed closer and closer. Mother-in-law that I am I am an avid driver but it's so difficult to drive from the back seat I've found. The son-in-law continued to follow the directions from the GPS's soothing voice, we turned, and turned and went the opposite direction of where we were supposed to go. And then, we came to a complete stop as bumper to bumper traffic hedged us in. So here we were stopped, people begin to get very worried about missing the appointment and the GPS voice comes floating through the car, "You are on the fastest route." She continued to speak this mantra, on and off while we continued to creep forward, inches at a time, going the wrong direction.
Perhaps you've been with family before on a road trip, trying to get somewhere and traffic creates havoc? Well, things did not continue to go any smoother. After a dozen or so reassuring, "You are on the fastest route," action was taken. The GSP wonder was turned off, (yes there was some muffled, laughter from the other occupants in the car.) We were so not going on the fastest route, we were going the absolute wrong direction on the slowest possible route. Wonder of wonder, I was asked, "O.k, now how do you actually get there?" Well, I must admit, I felt some degree of self satisfaction as I explained, get off the freeway here, take this over-pass and turn left. Pretty soon, we were on our way, the GSP finally silent, going to our destination the right way.
Life is a lot like that ride in the car. We make goals, make our plans, and then wonder what happens when things fall through. "What happened?" we ask. "We were full of good intentions, we prepared, why in the world did things fall apart?" Analysis, disection, rhetoric, talking about it, all are things we do to figure it out. However, many times, most of the times, it all comes down to starting over, beginning again. Things happen out of our control, all the time, every time, without fail.
In my life, there have been a whole lot of starting overs. Like the child in Little League who misses his pitches, sometimes, giving that child a "do over" helps them not give up. I've been fortunate that I've had a lot of "do overs". Finding the positive encouragement I needed during staring over times was essential to getting the energy and courage to begin again. For me outside of some family members, my Bible has been my biggest comfort and hope. I look for and find verses that speak to my need. I then pray and ask God for the courage and strength to claim those verses in my life, and then timidly at times I step out into the purpose, plan and dream in my life that needed to be renewed and restarted. For each of us taking daily inventory is a personal choice. We can continue to go on the "fastest route" going the wrong direction, or we can call it like it is and take a new path. It takes courage, it takes will, and it takes faith to believe that the strength, wisdom and perserverance we lack, our Heavenly Father can supply. Sometimes, asking for that help, is the hardest thing we have to do. It's so easy to trust in our own GPS system, to believe the myth that, "We can do it ourselves." Failure can be the soil that grows the sweetest flowers of success. Having the courage to say, "God I need your help." Is the first step in recreating a path, a plan, a pattern for our lives that will not only head us in the right direction, but lead us to the right final destination.
Today, if you are struggling with life, dare to believe that God is there, waiting to help you. Only you need to ask. Faith is the key that opens the door to finding the answers you need. Have a wonderful, blessed day.
"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes I will help you. I will uphold you by my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
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