Tour Guides

I have been on a lot of tours and followed around a lot of tour guides. Some tour guides hoist  brightly colored umbrellas high over their heads when the group is on the move so no one will get lost.  I tend to like them best because I have been known to
get lost, so the bright umbrella is my safety net. Tour guides come in all shapes and sizes and the good ones are passionate about the place or area to be visited and that passion is contagious.  They know all kinds of historical information, as well as, comical tidbits. The thought of the blog today is that every day I go to prayer and ask God to walk with me throughout my day. Did you hear what I pray? I pray that God will walk with ME throughout my day.  How ludicrous!  Here I am asking the creator of heaven and earth, asking the all- wise God, asking the all-knowing God, to walk with me.  I am basically saying that I will be the tour guide for this day and what do I know about this day- NOTHING!  What if today I asked God to be my tour guide pointing out the importance and value of people, places, and events in my day?  What if I surrendered my view of the day to His eternal view?  What if I surrendered my one-dimensional view for His three-dimensional view? What if I was out of control?

So I began my day. It started out pretty much business as usual and then I headed to town for prayer time at the local Christian radio station.  I needed to pick up something for my lunch, so I headed to McDonald’s with the thought of a grilled chicken snack wrap in my mind.  I arrived at the stop light ready to turn left over the railroad tracks and the train lights began to blink and the arms came down.  This is nothing unusual as Amtrak and freight trains both regularly go through Carlinville.  However, I waited a couple of minutes and no train.  Finally, I pulled out of the turning lane ready to forfeit my McDonald's grilled chicken snack wrap.  As soon as I turned, of course, the lights stopped blinking and the arms went up so I did a quick U-turn and got in line to cross over the railroad tracks.  As soon as I crossed over, I realized this was futile.  The delay of five minutes had allowed hoards of high school students to be released on their lunch break.  The line through the drive up at McDonalds was wrapped around the building and extended out into the street.  OK, I put my best Plan B into motion and swing through DQ with the new plan of going to Wal-Mart and picking up a sandwich.  All was going well.  I grab my sandwich, some chips, and a candy bar and head to the checkout.  I was pleasantly surprised that there was only one man in front of me already checking out and he only had three things.  Then he went to pay and he had no money.  He had left his wallet in his truck. Are you kidding me! He left to retrieve his wallet.  I waited and finally got checked out and head to prayer.  All seemed to be back on track. 

As we are talking before prayer began, I mentioned a man who had posted on the prayer site his desire to go on a mission’s trip and then asked people to go to his web site and donate. We have removed one post and he has then posted a new post for the last three days.  Something had to be done because solicitation is not allowed on the site; we discuss how best to inform him.  Prayer begins, and who should God put on my heart to pray for but John (not his real name).  The man I was irked at for continuing to post asking for donations.  Through God’s eyes I saw him completely different.  I saw someone who desperately wanted to go on a mission’s trip.  He desperately wanted to minister.  God didn’t see him as irksome at all. I had caught a glimpse of my guide's umbrella and followed.  I then prayed for John from God’s heart that he would rely on Him and not on his ability.  Then back to Wal-Mart to pick up a few groceries.  Once again I was ready to check out.  I once again picked a line that had only one woman in it and she already had half her cart checked out.  I got in line and then realized that this woman had a coupon for everything she is buying and I do mean everything.  She bought 10 candy bars and she had ten coupons.  And there I stood when the thought floated through my mind; do you see God's umbrella anywhere in sight?  I think I am lost again.  This was the day when I had said I would allow God to be my tour guide. I had asked God to guide me through my day, but I had paid absolutely no attention to His bight umbrella and had forged my own path.  I was in control.

I wonder what God might have wanted me to see at the stoplight while I was busy determining how long I would sit there before I gave up and went on without my grilled chicken snack wrap.  God probably had more on His mind than grilled chicken.  I wonder what He might have shown me as I quickly assessed the situation and drove through DQ and headed to WalWal-Mart I once again forged my own trail and completely lost sight of God and His umbrella.  I stood in line at Wal-Mart not quietly looking for an umbrella that would show me where God was directing. Oh no, once again I had taken off on my own path.  I was actually secretly smiling to myself thinking I had not been praying for patience so why all this practice in patience when what I had prayed once again came to my mind.  I had asked God to be my tour guide for the day and this is where my tour guide had brought me and this is what He wanted me to see. 

Boy do I have a lot to learn.  Instead of my day going perfectly smooth according to my plan and my design, my day may have what appears to be a lot of detours and interruptions but each one will be an opportunity for God to share things I would never have known and to show me wonders I would never have seen.  Tomorrow I will try to do better and keep God’s umbrella in sight, not get lost, and enjoy being out of control.