Lost and Found in Florida

Azaleas Blooming

 April 2011

Isaiah 41:10

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

“Lori, there’s 429.  Over the bridge.  Turn right.  Just like the directions said!”

John and I confidently left Fort Wilderness tonight certain we would find the grocery store he had located online. 

We had packed our car full with suitcases when we left Georgia for Disney this morning, so we had no room to carry food and drinks. Once we arrived at our cabin, we searched online for directions to the nearest store and headed out in search of supplies.

I turned right, crossed the bridge and followed the road signs directing us to 429. After a few minutes John looked at me confused and asked, “Didn’t we just pass by here? I think we’re going in circles!”

I shrugged my shoulders and glanced at the directions he held. By now we were completely off script. We were on our own.

“I don’t know, dear,” I sighed. “I’m just reading signs. Isn’t this the road you told me to be on?”

John crumbled up the directions and threw them on the floor. He groaned. “I have no idea. I haven’t a clue where we are.”  We had been up a long time and were exhausted. We could barely think of our names let alone figure out how we had become lost.

We should have turned around at this point, but the car was running on empty. I needed gasoline in the worst way. I hoped if I continued forward I would discover a gas station.

Hope was all we possessed because the longer we drove, the deeper we became lost in orange groves in central Florida.

Finally, we encountered cross roads. We faced a choice of entering onto a toll road or passing underneath it. We chose to skip the toll and drove on. However, we only progressed about a half mile until we came upon a ghost town. The road ended. We had run out of choices.

We turned around, maneuvered onto the toll road, and with the car seeming to suck only gas fumes for energy, we forged onward looking for civilization. We eventually found it. 

Not only did we find a gas station, but we also located a store to buy groceries.

As we headed back toward Disney, John had the atlas in his lap trying to figure out how to return. To our surprise, we were north of Disney. We thought all along we were south of it! We were completely turned around.

Thankfully, God keeps a close eye on our spiritual lives. He sends road signs to help us on our spiritual paths as we journey through life.

He provides us with an accurate soul map for our spiritual journey. He keeps us from being lost or running on empty. He wants us to be energized so we can spread His word to others.

So He sends timely signs along our paths to help us. For example, many times I’ve opened the Bible to a particularly appropriate verse for what I’m facing that day. That’s God.

There’s no reason I should be spiritually spinning in circles, ending up in an orange grove in Florida, if I don’t plan on being there.

God daily reveals my spiritual path to me if I am open to His road signs. I just need to carefully read them.

Thank you, Lord for helping me remain on the path to you.