Asking for Directions
Keeping Our Goals in Front of God
Today: Check in with God with some concentrated prayer and meditation. (Talking to God, and then listening to Him.) Even if it is just for 10 minutes, get quite with God listen for His direction when it comes to your goal.
My husband Roger and I had just landed at Tampa International Airport. While the purpose of our travel was to visit Roger’s parents, we decided to sneak in some “couple’s time” before heading to the family reunion.
Roger had booked a romantic hotel on the beach only two miles from the airport. Since airlines do not provide meals anymore, our combined food intake for the cross-country journey from California consisted of three bags of peanuts and a half a box of Altoids I rescued from the bottom of my bag. We were anxious to stow our suitcases at the hotel and head out for our beach-side dinner.
As we picked up our rental car, I was eager to try out the new navigational system Roger just bought me. You see, I have a tendency to get lost while I am driving… even in areas I have been to several times. Roger said he bought the new GPS system for my safety. Really, I think he got tired of guiding me in like an air traffic controller every time I was more than three miles from the house.
I love my new mapping device – with one tiny exception. When you first turn on the display, Maggie (our pet-name for our electronic guide) needs about 15 seconds to figure out where the satellite is. This process goes much faster if you stay put. If you start to drive, it could take up to whole two minutes for her to figure out where you are.
I have never been known as a patient woman. Even 15 seconds is about 14 seconds too long. Growing weary of waiting I asked Roger, “Can’t we just get going and it will catch up with us.” Roger knew the general direction of the hotel, so we hit the road. Our destination was only a couple of miles away. What could go wrong?
After a few minutes, and a turn on to an onramp, Maggie, finally came blinking to life with directions and distance … 22.2 miles!
How did our “couple of miles away” hotel turn into a 22 mile trek? That is when I discovered something I had never experienced in California called a “causeway.”
A causeway is a road that goes over a body of water. Like the body of water between the Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg, Florida. Because there tends not to be a convenient place to turn around while traveling over water, and the fact our car was not Herbie the Love Bug with the ability to float, we were stuck going the whole distance over the causeway. And back – 22.2 miles round trip.
If we had only taken the 14 extra seconds to wait for directions – instead of going off on our own – we would have saved time, aggravation and grief.
Soon after our ill-fated trip, I was doing my morning devotionals and this verse popped out at me: It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. – Proverbs 19:2
Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?
Traveling with Maggie is a lot like figuring out the path God wants you to follow for your life and for your goals. The parallels show up for me almost every time I get lost. OK, almost every time I leave the house.
Gifts of the Maggie #1 You will be much better off if you wait for directions.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. – Proverbs 16:3
As women, we don’t have an excess of time or energy to be heading off in the wrong direction while chasing after our dreams. We need a much simpler, direct route. Time and commitment spent up-front praying and listening to God for direction will always be rewarded down the road.
Sometimes in my enthusiasm to get closer to my goals, I have an “Act Now, Pray Later” attitude. I get impatient and want to get going with all the plans and dreams I have for my life – now. When I act out of desire, enthusiasm, or trying to simply check things off my list, I usually end up wasting time, energy and emotion.
Like Maggie, God has a lot of rewards for those who wait on direction from Him. When I pray before I act, I may not have clear direction all at once. What I can be sure of is the fact that I have put my plans before God. I am honoring Him first in everything I do, every plan I make.
Gifts of the Maggie #2 You don’t need to know every turn that is coming up – you just need to know what your next step is.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34 Don’t ever try to give me directions over the phone. I am good for about two turns and then my brain starts to think about the Discovery Channel special I saw last night, or tries to figure out when the cute pink bag I saw at the mall might go on sale. When I get directions all at once, trying to hold everything in my head about the next eight turns I need to make it is almost always a guarantee I am going to get hopelessly lost, confused, frustrated and off-track. The beauty of Maggie is that she only gives you the next turn you have to make.
As busy women, we can get bogged down by the magnitude of all we have to do. If we start to look too closely at all is involved in having a rewarding career or raising great kids and pursuing our dream, it would be very easy to get completely overwhelmed.
A better approach is to take each day as it comes. Planning for the future is great. Worrying about it will get you nowhere. Keep your final destination in mind, and concern yourself with the turn just ahead of you. God is the only one who can see around the corner.
The other benefit of just focusing on the turn right in front of you, and not worrying about the next seven that are coming up, is getting to enjoy the ride. When you have a dream that is bigger than yourself, there are many opportunities to step out in faith and see God’s hand working in your life.
I tend to miss the miracles in the moment when I am worrying about what has to happen next month. Just concentrate on the next turn and enjoy the ride.
Gifts of the Maggie #3 Trust the directions- even if they are different than what you expect. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” – Isaiah 30:21
Sometimes for fun, I will check out Maggie’s directions to a familiar place, just to see if she has a different way of getting there. Often times, she will have a shortcut I didn’t know about, or there is a new road I had yet to discover. I have learned a lot by going in different directions than I originally thought.
Today, I just want you to spend some time checking in with God. Am I going in the right direction? Do you want me to press forward on something, or wait? Learning to be sensitive to God’s leading is a skill we can develop. Tell us in the comments below how you are going to stop and spend time with God today and everyday. Is it a coffe date alone, during the kids nap time, getting up earlier, or during a lunch break? If you feel led to do so share with me what God is directing you to do, press on, wait or be still.
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I am currently overwhelmed with plans to move to a new home, begin teaching 2 new classes next week, and juggling 3 paid writing assignments. My husband is not able to help me right now as he is out of town on business for the next few weeks. I am spending MANY hours in the wee hours of the morning in communion with God, seeking and waiting on His directions for the many details that must be handled in the coming few weeks. I try to remember to seek his direction in everything, but when there are so many things all at once I MUST seek, and listen to, that wisdom and guidance that I crave so much!
One of the things I’m learning is that offen God will give me a different direction for the various areas of my life. Right now, I’m hearing slow down and be more deliberate in one area of my life. In other area, I’m hearing move forward and keep going. And in still another area, God is leading me on a detour through uncharted territory…but since God is leading I’m just holding tight to His hand and following. I’m learning that setting time aside at the end of my day to read the Bible, do my devotion, and be still and listen to God is critical. I have also set a goal for this year to truly honor the Sabbath and spend Sundays focused on God.
I feel that God is asking me to take my lunch breaks and spend them with him. At my office we have a back room that I can use. I have my bible here and can go in the back and read, pray and meditate. I pray that God and I can use this time to grow closer together.
Right now I am reading through the Bible, this is something I have said I would do but never did. For some reason this year God has really been bugging me about it lol. There must be some stuff He feels Im ready to learn from Him now in there.
I love the post and the Proverbs verses–going to memorize both of them 🙂
This has been a lesson God has been teaching me these last 2 years. Sometimes it is hard to wait until God wants you to move forward. we are willing and impatient but God has the perfect timing.
Maggie #3 is what is difficult for me. I’ve been struggling this week to identify my ministry. I know I need to be still and listen. Truth is that when you ask god a question like that, you may not like his answer.
Thanks for sharing.
Great post Kathi! I can so picture you and Maggie having words! I love my concentrated time with God in the morning, I get up, get my cup of tea and go to my quiet place. There are times I get off track, usually when I get to busy being busy. Last Spring God started slowing me down in a whole new way. In the past, when I would get too busy, He would slow me down by allowing me to get sick, so I had to rest. I am stubborn you know, so I usually ignored His soft whispers to be still, then He would speak up, I would hear His direction but usually kept up my “good works” until He put me to rest physically. You would think I would have caught on many years ago, but I am a slow learner sometimes.
This past year was different though, I heard Him very clearly as He started to give very clear directions. He was calling me into a time of rest, one I didn’t even have to spend feeling lousy. I have learned through this period of rest that He was after my whole attention, mind, body and soul. He has stripped away, very lovingly, all hat I that I have been “doing”. He was calling me to just “be”, just be still, just be worshiping Him, just be listening, just finding my worth in His Presence. I needed to just be obedient, trusting His plans and following. This is difficult for someone who is used to always “doing”. Oh, but the blessings He has showered over me! He is teaching me to listen, to hear, to surrender, to see. My cup overflows. I sense the rest period is drawing to an end, I will know for certain when this Sabbatical time ends, but with the close of this time of rest, I will be ready, ready to hear His direction, ready to obey His cll, and ready to only accept the call He lays before me, for He alone knows the path ahead.
I will forever be grateful for this time of quietness in Him, though I didn’t understand why I had to be still at first, I can praise Him for it now.
My word for this year is Listen. I want to begin all of my days listening for Him to speak, listening for His direction. That listening will require time in the Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers. But I can truly say, with all my heart, His is the sweetest voice you will ever hear.
Your best post ever! Insightful, amusing, helpful. Thank you!
Welcome to Florida. I live across the “causeway” in Pinellas County. I have often referred to myself as an Imperfect Perfectionist. This is not a good thing because I waste valuable time in waiting for everything to be perfect. I tend to rush ahead of the Lord or become immobile waiting for everything to be “perfect”. When I spend time with the Lord He gives me a whole new perspective and I am able to grow and meet new challenges.
Love the references to Epiphany today! I was recently given a Bible in a Year Bible and I have been using it this week. I commit to continuing that during my morning time. I have also joined a Good Morning Girls group to study Ephesians over the next couple of months. I am looking forward to spending more quality time with Him this year.
I can also relate to wanting to start before having all the necessary info. I have a specific blog project in mind and have been waiting (impatiently) for my re-design to be complete so I can get started. The thing is I really wasn’t ready a couple of months ago. Now that I’m involving Him more, I’m getting closer. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes! I’ve found that He only gives us enough light for the step we are on right now. My word for this year is DETERMINATION. I know I can do all things thru Him Who strengthens me. I will be doing His wants, not mine.
At 5:30 AM, prior to exercising, I’m so tired, the megocentric “tapes” in my mind haven’t yet started to play. Pressing “play” on God’s Word as soon as I wake up allows my thoughts to be directed His way for the day.
I’m feeling led to take action without spinning off into obsessive perfectionism…to take the next step and pause to rest and receive the next directions (vs. turning the “next step” into an exhausting dance routine of my own creation).
Thank you for this post. It ministered to me greatly. It also complimented the sermon I heard in church today on the topic of prayer. If there is one thing I need to do more of is pray more. And that Proverbs 19:2 verse, well that verse speaks loud to me.. I am going to be more careful to “stop” whatever I am doing to spend time with God in the mornings, mid-day, and evenings. I need His direction concerning several things.
Love this post. I will commit to making time for him In the morning
I try to spend my time with God at night before bed. To me it’s like the last step of getting ‘undressed’. By ‘taking off’ the busy-ness in my head and leaving in God’s hands, I usually am able to rest better.
I am going to take an extra time today during the day to be with him and try and focus on listening. At this place in my life and goal, I feel like I’m getting mixed messages and am unable to understand clearly what God wants me to do.
Great reminders today, Kathi. Thank you. I will be committing my plans to God.