Turn Around

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:1, 2 NIV)

Have you ever gotten lost in a big city?  I sure have!  Before the advent of the GPS, I got lost a lot!  I've been lost in Miami and lost in Jacksonville.  I've been lost in New London, Connecticut (not a very big city... but I got lost just the same!)  I've been lost in Atlanta and Charlotte (who hasn't?)   I even got lost in Hickory once.  But now I have GPS!  What a wonderful invention!  I admit that occasionally I will still wander off in the wrong direction, but Siri will set me straight by telling me to turn around or "make a u-turn as soon as it is safe to do so."

When we are lost, sometimes we don't even realize it.  I know plenty of guys --- even with a GPS that keeps yelling at them to turn around ---- will never admit that they are lost.  Part of getting back on track is to realize and admit that we are, indeed, lost.  If we don't, then why in the world would we turn around?  Sometimes, we eventually wind up at our destination even if we don't turn around.  We might have to take a lot of twisty, windy roads and it will take us a lot longer, but, hey... the world is round, so....

"Repent" is from the Greek, "metanoia" which literally means, "to turn around."  But first we have to  reaalize and admit that we have wandered off track.  Our GPS can be the Bible or an Order of Confession or an Examination of Conscience or even the Lord's Prayer.  As we listen to that GPS we can hear Siri (or is it the Holy Spirit) saying, "turn around!"  "You're going in the wrong direction!"  If we listen and turn around, we are sure to save ourselves a lot of trouble.  If we are too busy trying to find our way on our own to listen, God will still love us.  And he will follow us down the windy, twisty paths - still trying to get our attention to turn around.  And we might arrive at our destination late and weary and beaten, but we will arrive.

God just wants our trip to be the best trip it can be.  He's mapped it out for us in the Bible.  He sent the Holy Spirit as our GPS.  It's our choice to listen and enjoy the ride or ignore it all and keep running into dead ends.

Father,
Help us pay better attention as you guide us through life.  Amen.