By Bill King
What did we ever do before we had GPS? Well, we used maps and followed signs, for one thing. We also stopped at gas stations and asked for directions. Those directions were not always helpful if we didn’t know where the old Johnson place used to be or the whispering oak by the side of the road. Sometimes we were given unspecific directions like, “After you turn left on County Road 3876, you go way, way, way, way, way down that road, and then go about another 2 miles and it will be on your left.” Did I say unspecific or unhelpful?
Last Tuesday evening, I had a meeting that was about 30 minutes from home. I had been to the location numerous times, so I knew exactly how to get there and how long it would take. As I usually do, I left with ample time to get there. I don’t like arriving late for a meeting, especially if they have already started when I arrive. I hate that condescending look when the others turn around and stare when you walk in. They are thinking, “What? Do you not own a watch, a clock, a cell phone, or a calendar?” You sit down beside the guy who says, “Just get here when you can,” or “We went ahead and started without you.”
I didn’t need to use my GPS. I even knew 2-different ways to get there, but what I didn’t know was which one was fastest. I don’t especially care which one is the shortest, but I want to know which one is the quickest. This way of thinking, and curiosity, can cause all kinds of problems. Even though I didn’t need my GPS, I decided to pull it up simply to see which route it would choose. I thought I knew which route it would show me, but when I came to the road where I usually turned, she had me going another mile before I turned. I bit. No, actually, I ended up being bitten.
The road looked good enough. It was paved and fairly wide…at least where I turned. Roads can be deceiving. They do not always continue the same way they begin. After a couple of miles, I realized we were cutting through a wooded area. With my headlights on full beam and staring straight ahead, the road looked different. There was no road sign that said “Pavement ends.” I’m not the most astute fellow in the world, but I could tell by the sound of crunching gravel beneath my tires and loose gravel hitting the underside of my vehicle, my new vehicle, that a sign is not required for the pavement to end.
As the road narrowed and the potholes grew larger, I knew I had better slow down. I came to one pothole that reminded me of Lake Michigan, but I knew I had not traveled that far, at least not yet. Then I came to a crossroads. GPS said go straight, but the sign said, “Detour. Bridge out ahead.” I turned left on another dirt road with even more potholes.
To make a long-story short, and a short-trip long, my 30-minute trip took me 45 minutes! Yes, they had already started, and yes, they did turn and stare.
The big roads would have been better, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, the broad road is the way that leads to destruction, while the narrow one is more difficult, but it is the one which leads to life. Many choose the wrong route. (Matthew 7:13-14)
