Nightblindness

Last night Ray was teaching in Florida, NY and I had agreed to pick him up.  He had given me the address the night before, so I went on mapquest and looked it up.  It seemed like a straight enough route: get off the exit, make a left, go six blocks and make a right.  Simple.....

I did just that....sort of.  I made a left off the exit and then started looking for the 6th block on the right.  Except I was in the middle of nowhere - no streetlights, no landmarks, just small green signs that I could barely see and couldn't read because I have nightblindness.  I had to slow the car down, much to the dismay of the people behind me who blew the horn at me several times.  At one point I panicked and turned around to go back to the exit.  All this did was allow one of the not so happy drivers behind me to pull up alongside of me and proceed to curse me out.  I was completely lost - or so I thought.

I ended up calling Ray to tell him of my predicament.  Turns out that I had been going in the right direction all along.  Seems I had mixed up 6 blocks with 6 miles!  I finally arrived at the center where he was working - slightly hysterical from my experience.  It got me thinking though....

There are times when I feel God leading me down a road and I feel so certain of my destination, but then the surroundings become unfamiliar and I can't see what's in front of me.  I wonder why it's taking me so long to get to my destination.  I panic, letting my fear take over.  I turn around and head for safety.  Sometimes I stay in this "safe" place because the fear of the unknown is too paralyzing for me to conquer on my own.  Which is why I desperately need God; it is only with His help that I can navigate these treacherous roads of life.  Whether it's starting a new job, moving to a new place, beginning a new relationship, or having a difficult conversation, I can only persevere by trusting that He knows the way better than I do.

These days I feel like I'm in one of those "safe" places again.  I'm just staying on the side of the road watching the cars pass by; unsure of which direction to take.  And so I pray for wisdom, guidance, and the courage to once again step out and travel the road of faith.