I love my GPS!  I tell it where I want to go, and it tells me every turn to make without me having to concentrate on directions.  Once in a while, though, I hit an unexpected road block, or I get distracted, and miss my turn.  After only a couple of seconds the voice on my GPS informs me that my route is being recalculated.  Then quickly it finds a new route to my destination, from whatever starting point I may find myself.  The new route probably is not as good or as quick as the original route, but it is the best route from where I am at that given moment.

God is like that GPS.  He has a perfect route for our lives, but we sometimes get distracted and veer off course.  Immediately He recalculates our plan.  There will be consequences to our detour (i.e. we may get there a little later and use a little more gas), but life continues to move forward, never backward.  Harsh words, once spoken, cannot be unsaid.  Innocence lost cannot be regained.  But God does not shut off.  He is forever recalculating our route.  "OK, you messed up back there.  The route is a little rockier now, but here's the new plan . . ."  When given wholly to God, even our past failures can be used in serving Him.  Once we reach our destination, we will find that only Jesus arrived on the original route.  The rest of us all made wrong turns, but God does not stop using us! 

Have you recently made a wrong turn?  Are you stuck now feeling like a failure or wandering around aimlessly hoping that you will eventually just end up somewhere?  Turn on your GPS.  Give your failures to God and commit to begin again from where you are now.  You can't undo what was done, but you can hear the assuring words "Your route is being recalculated," and you can move forward!






Note:  Thanks to Pastor Kip's sermon illustration this morning for the inspiration for this blog!