I’d forgotten until a couple of weeks ago that when I was younger, getting lost was my absolute worst fear. Like, if I was ever lost I was done for.
I never had to worry about getting lost when my dad was driving because his brain is basically google maps, but with anyone else, I was terrified, especially in unfamiliar places. If I was ever without my dad in an unfamiliar place, as soon as we left the place where I knew where I was, I would try to keep these insane mental notes of turns we would take and landmarks so I could get us back to where I knew I was safe, even though I ‘trusted’ the people I was with.
I can remember being in the car with my grandparents one night after dark and we were going back to their house from some place we didn’t go very often. We were stopped at an intersection and my grandma (who was probably about 72 at the time) thought we should turn one way and Papa (who had dementia) thought we should turn the other way. I was sitting in the back seat just crying (which was NOT helping the situation) and terrified thinking we were never getting home and we would run out of gas trying to get there and then we’d all die a horrible death of starvation and axe murderers! In my mind we were going to be alone and no one would ever come looking for us and morning was never going to come.
I can also remember one of the mission trips I went on before I was old enough to be in youth (shout out for having youth trip sponsors for parents – Hey-o!!). I was on the cook team (because I wasn’t really even supposed to be there) and we had to go to the grocery store, which was seriously like 5 blocks away. On the way back, we ended up going a different way than we’d come and the adults on the cook team couldn’t remember which way the church was. Again, I was sitting in the back seat, terrified and crying (which still wasn’t helping).
Anyhow, now I’m on the World Race, in countless unfamiliar places all the time with really no clue at all where I am at this exact moment (Frank Daddy can’t even find me – Mr. GoogleMaps himself).
And I’m not afraid.
I’m not afraid that I’m lost.
I am exactly where I am supposed to be and I am doing the good works the Lord has prepared for me to do. And even if I were lost, I’m not alone. Not ever. And God is faithful and the Body would be the Body and provide a place for me to stay and they would remind me that morning is coming.
