An Ode to my GPS

Three years ago, I took this job
with wide eyes and a dream
to see the country by car and plane.
Simple, so it would seem…
My GPS, though, had other plans 
of what my eyes should see.
It quite preferred the "scenic route"
(the path less followed safely).
My GPS would always find that road-
the one with a dead end,
the one that resembled a scary film,
or the one with countless blind bends…
My GPS these found places
I never dreamed I would be-
like roads ending in fields in Delaware
and rough parts of Cincinnati…
My GPS had a specialty
of dirt roads and broken glass.
The more obstacles seemingly in the way,
the more persistently it pursued the pass.
Some of these places were dangerous
and some seemed quite deserted.
My heart would always sink a bit
when my arrival was alerted…
 But today I saw something different
as my GPS plotted my doom.
I saw God at work on that street it picked.
I saw light instead of just gloom. 
And I remembered feeling the call
to be Jesus' hands and feet…
and I thanked God for using my GPS
to take me down that street.

I thanked God for all of the streets He picked
over the past three years.
The streets that painted a real picture
of real life pain and fears…
The streets that many forget about
and the streets that screamed "keep away."
Those are the streets where Jesus would be
bringing hope day by day.

 

My job has weaved me through some pretty scary areas of the country, as well as some pretty amazing places.  I've found that my favorite part of this job has always been working with kids that need that extra push and need someone to believe in them- kids that need a little bit of extra hope and love to shine in their lives… and most of those kids were found in the scarier parts of my travels.  I was tested and pushed a lot with this job, but I survived and I grew.  

Three years ago, when I took this job I was young and definitely naive… I would get so stressed if things did not work out the way I had planned and I was scared to do a lot of things by myself.  Three years later, I have learned that when you are traveling nothing usually works out the way you have planned, but it works out the way it is supposed to work out.  AND I'm much more brave these days!  

…God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 13

I am reminiscent today since it was my last work trip with this position.  After three years of being on the road for sometimes months at a time, I can finally unpack my suitcase.  And what am I doing next? Packing my life into a backpack and hitting the road again! I must like traveling or something… 🙂