‘I told you we should’ve taken the street to the left,’ I snarl. ‘Why is it when we’re in a hurry, we always get lost?’

‘Keep quiet for a minute while I concentrate!’ my husband retorts.

‘Hey, there’s a gas station! Someone there will know Wiley Street.’

Greg motors by, seemingly oblivious to my suggestion.

I glare at him. He heard me. I seethe. I have another suggestion.

‘What about that man?’ A dog leading his owner flashes by my window. Greg doesn’t attempt to slow down. I quickly point out to him that he has a passive, aggressive nature. It helps to remind him of these things, especially when we’re both in this state of mind.

Meanwhile, as I rant about how useless he is with directions, I fail to realize he is on the verge of exploding. With little charity I intone, ‘We’ll be late – again!’ A response like that is fraught with danger.

Throughout our years of marital bliss, Greg and I try to avoid the above scenario by being prepared for any trips we take. Before we leave the house, we pour over our street maps and look for the best route and we leave with plenty of time to spare. Sometimes we don’t get it right – the street map is out of date – Greg was not concentrating and took a wrong turn and I try not to make matters worse by blaming my inability to read a map, which my husband ‘kindly’ points out, is often upside down. The trouble is that neither Greg nor I are great with directions.

One of our children inherited her grandfather’s uncanny ability for that but unfortunately, when the Lord was passing this talent around, Greg and I were overlooked.

For people like me who have no natural talent for reading maps and observing landmarks, it can be a frustrating exercise getting from Point A to Point B. While others are enjoying the process of getting there, I’m looking at my watch and hoping I get it right (or whoever is driving gets it right). Getting to a destination is not always as plain cut as following the main highway until you see the road sign that says, ‘You’ve made it!’. I only wish it were! Nature has gifted only a few the ability to see where they are heading. It seems that life that leads to LIFE is just as confusing for most people.

Our Heavenly Father gave us His Book for directions but unless we have ‘eyes’ to see and ‘ears’ to hear, it is impossible for us to decipher what those directions really mean. Jesus plainly told Nicodemus, a leader of Pharisees and a very knowledgeable man of the Torah, that unless he was born again – born of the SPIRIT, he could not possibly receive eternal life. He was not going to make it on his own abilities. In the natural, he had great knowledge of what God said in His Torah, however, to apply that knowledge with spiritual revelation was impossible for him and is impossible for us.

For a majority of people like me who cannot even read a road map, how could we even presume to understand the mind of God? How can we know the things of the Spirit outlined in His Bible, if even our natural ability to discern is lacking? Praise God that He knew the hurdles we would face even before we were born of flesh and blood and provided a way through Jesus Christ to know and understand the things of the Spirit. Through the washing away of the ‘carnal man’ with the perfect blood of Jesus, the spiritual Adam, we are made spirit men and because of that, regardless of our natural abilities, we are now capable of reading the road map to LIFE everlasting.

‘ “…You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.” ‘
John 14: 4 – 6 (New Century Version)

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading …

About Janelle Dyer

Janelle lives with her husband Greg, in the regional city of Toowoomba, Australia. She has two adult children, Gregg and Koren. She worked as chaplain in state and private educational institutions, travelled around Australia in a repertory theatre group, has written many short plays and stories and ministered to children and youth.

• Mail

|

• Web

|

• More Posts (5)