Who Needs Directions?
Last Saturday evening I stopped at Circle K to get a cup of coffee. While there, I heard an older gentleman ask the attendant how to get to the theater to see the production of “Hot ‘n’ Cole.”
The attendant was unsure, so I pitched in to help. “Take Cave Creek Road back to Carefree Highway. Turn left. At 60th Street, turn right, and ….”
Hmmm. If you know where the theater is, you know that things are a little sketchy from that point on. The theater sits in the middle of school property, virtually invisible from the road at night.
I hesitated. We were holding up the line. He was a bit hard of hearing. I didn’t want to lead him astray. They were nearly late already.
“Let me explain it to you at the car so the rest of the group can hear,” I said. I thought I might reduce the margin for error by telling several people.
Sure enough, five people were in the vehicle. One of them pulled out a pad of paper. I started again, becoming less and less confident as I proceeded. I told them my cell phone number, in case they got lost again.
Still, how would they know where to turn off 60th Street? One of the things we love about our area is the absence of streetlights. But it can make night navigation difficult.
I realized that what these people needed was not directions, but a guide. “I’ll tell you what,” I said. “I’ll show you the way. Follow me.” Without giving them a chance to object, I jumped in my car and led them to the theater.
They were, as you might imagine, very grateful. It was a small gesture on my part; but having been lost several times myself, I knew it was worth the effort. Besides, the last thing I wanted was for them to get lost again after stopping for directions!
As I drove away I mused, as I am prone to do, about life. I thought about the leveraged blessings of simple acts of kindness. In providing a simple service to some strangers, there was a blessing for them, as well as one for myself. Life turned inward, I remembered, is empty. Life turned outward is full.
It’s a paradox Jesus himself understood when he said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Luke 9:24).
I thought, too, about my own need for direction. I’m sitting at the Circle K of my life right now. Perhaps you are too. We’ve lost our way. Time is not on our side. We need help.
We thought we knew where we were going. Like my lost friends, we have some scribbled directions on a piece of paper. Nonetheless, we are lost. Directions we have; what we need is a guide.
That’s where Jesus comes in. He doesn’t say, “This is the way. Go here.” He says, “I am the way. Follow me.”
For my part, I’m glad. The lack of streetlights is alarming. Unexpected turns on the road have left me confused. Left to my own resources I am nervous and afraid. I really don't know where I'm going and how I'm supposed to get there.
But Jesus has been this way before. I am afraid, but I know I can trust him. So can you. Besides, he’s pretty good company along the way.
The attendant was unsure, so I pitched in to help. “Take Cave Creek Road back to Carefree Highway. Turn left. At 60th Street, turn right, and ….”
Hmmm. If you know where the theater is, you know that things are a little sketchy from that point on. The theater sits in the middle of school property, virtually invisible from the road at night.
I hesitated. We were holding up the line. He was a bit hard of hearing. I didn’t want to lead him astray. They were nearly late already.
“Let me explain it to you at the car so the rest of the group can hear,” I said. I thought I might reduce the margin for error by telling several people.
Sure enough, five people were in the vehicle. One of them pulled out a pad of paper. I started again, becoming less and less confident as I proceeded. I told them my cell phone number, in case they got lost again.
Still, how would they know where to turn off 60th Street? One of the things we love about our area is the absence of streetlights. But it can make night navigation difficult.
I realized that what these people needed was not directions, but a guide. “I’ll tell you what,” I said. “I’ll show you the way. Follow me.” Without giving them a chance to object, I jumped in my car and led them to the theater.
They were, as you might imagine, very grateful. It was a small gesture on my part; but having been lost several times myself, I knew it was worth the effort. Besides, the last thing I wanted was for them to get lost again after stopping for directions!
As I drove away I mused, as I am prone to do, about life. I thought about the leveraged blessings of simple acts of kindness. In providing a simple service to some strangers, there was a blessing for them, as well as one for myself. Life turned inward, I remembered, is empty. Life turned outward is full.
It’s a paradox Jesus himself understood when he said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Luke 9:24).
I thought, too, about my own need for direction. I’m sitting at the Circle K of my life right now. Perhaps you are too. We’ve lost our way. Time is not on our side. We need help.
We thought we knew where we were going. Like my lost friends, we have some scribbled directions on a piece of paper. Nonetheless, we are lost. Directions we have; what we need is a guide.
That’s where Jesus comes in. He doesn’t say, “This is the way. Go here.” He says, “I am the way. Follow me.”
For my part, I’m glad. The lack of streetlights is alarming. Unexpected turns on the road have left me confused. Left to my own resources I am nervous and afraid. I really don't know where I'm going and how I'm supposed to get there.
But Jesus has been this way before. I am afraid, but I know I can trust him. So can you. Besides, he’s pretty good company along the way.