So it was a sad day last fall when Rene came home with an electronic GPS.
"We can take the most direct route now, without detours."
"I have been replaced by a GARMIN nuvi! Pagan contraption!" I huffed under my breath.
After the 1st trip with a most polite English lady advising us to turn onto a road that wasn't there (she may have seemed polite but deep down she was treacherous, I could feel it!), I had a distinct impression she wanted to lead us off course, hoping to leaving us wandering in the wilderness. It was at that moment, I knew my position as head GPS was safe and I continued to bring the map book as a trustworthy hard copy back-up. (Raspberry!!!!!!)
"Shall we try the French lady?" I asked and plucked the electronic doohickey off the dashboard hoping it would slip through my fingers and onto the muddy floor with a satisfying crack of delicate electronic circuitry.
"Could the French be more trustworthy?" Rene asked.
"Worth a try."
"Tournez a gauche dans cinq cents metres." uttered the exotic femme voice.
"Did she just tell me to fermez my bouche?" my husband asked annoyed that she could be so rude.
"DAAAADD!" my youngest daughter rolled her eyes, "She told you to turn left in 500 metres." Good thing we have our girls in the French immersion program, they translated for us the rest of the trip.
To be quiet honest with you, the foreign lady did seem highly agitated when we accidentally missed our turn.
"RECALCUL!" she huffed, pissed off at us for inconveniencing her as if she were at the spa getting a manicure. I could picture her rolling her eyes perturbed and saying to the well manicured lady beside her holding a groomed poodle in her lap, "Deese Canadians, day arrr eeediots....no?"
"Wonder if she's PMS'ing?" Rene laughed.
Granted....sometimes we need to know where we are physically on this planet, so I can see why we would need a Global Positioning System. It has it's merits...still a few bugs to iron out, but overall a convenient thing.
Sitting here, looking back over my Easter weekend, I began to wonder how my SPS was working. (Spiritual Positioning System). Was I tuned in and listening to Gods instructions or did I have him on mute as I went along my way? Was I more concerned about the Easter Bunny and how many chocolates he was going to poop out for me? Or were my thoughts overflowing with how much God loves me, and what he did for me? After all, what is Easter all about?...
Here's a little story I wrote about Easter:
"You have more jelly beans than me!" Jeremy cried out, digging his greedy little paws into his brother's basket and taking a handful of candy.
"No I don't!" Patrick wailed and pushed his brother away, sending his brother and all the candies from the two baskets scattering all over the living room floor. Both boys fell to their knees and began to pick up the candy with lightening speed, looking out for 'numero uno', wanting the best pieces for themselves.
"STOP IT!" their father was making coffee just around the corner, wanting his boys to take the initiative to share without him interceding. He had hoped they would be able to figure it out for themselves, after all, hadn't he just read Galatians 5:22-26 to them not fifteen minutes ago?
"You ungrateful children! Drop the candy and go to your rooms!" his deep pack-leader voice rang out, startling the kids. Then he pointed up the stairs and they listened, knowing their father meant business when he looked at them like that.
"But I don't like chocolate." Patrick whimpered, dragging his feet up the stairs, tears rolling down his hot flushed cheeks.
"Did we do something wrong in our upbringing of them?" He asked his wife of 10 years, as they enjoyed a hot cup of coffee out in their backyard, listening to Patrick cry in the room above. They sat wrapped in a Hudson's bay 4 point wool blanket on the love seat he had made the previous summer. "How do we fix them?"
He had felt physically ill at the moment his cherished children fought, and sadness pierced his heart at the thought of them being so unkind to one-an-other. What did he do wrong?
"I spent thirty five dollars on Easter candy this week." Patsy was irritated, "I am not doing this again next year Joe." Patsy had lost her job 6 months ago and they couldn't afford to waste money. She was pretty good at coupon clipping and holding onto money, something she had learned young. Her father and mother had 7 children and sometimes there wasn't enough food on the table to feed them all and she couldn't remember ever having a Easter Egg hunt, just no money for it. She wanted her boys to have a great Easter, so she took some of her precious 'nest egg' savings and bought the candy and Easter baskets. She took a sip of coffee as single tear rolled down her cheek.
"How should we discipline them?" Joe asked rubbing his left temple to relieve the start of a stress headache.
"I don't know." Patsy sighed, defeated she took another sip of coffee, then she remembered to pray.
"Dear Lord, take a hold of this sadness I feel. Let me see clearly your will in how to handle this. What would you do in a situation like this? What have you done in the past? How would you discipline your children?" as Patsy prayed, Joe was reminded of a memory verse, memorized long ago and of an amazing grace that fell on him when he first believed. It was at that time, he came to realize his disbelief and drunken actions so long ago had made his Father sick, but God's mercy, love and grace prevailed. Joe knew what he needed to do.
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end- because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you......That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." Isaiah 43:1-4 (Sheila Walsh paraphrase from 'Get off your knees & Pray')
Ciao Ladies!
