Being Led by the Spirit According to Garmin

By Lane R Johnson

I have a companion that travels in my truck with me wherever I go. It’s a small navigational unit called Garmin. This companion is not very chatty, but I have grown to trust it implicitly. I call it Gwendolyn. 

In the beginning it was difficult to trust Gwendolyn. I was used to making all the decisions and seeing the end from the beginning. The concept of heading off in faith lead by someone I couldn’t control was very difficult.

I remember an appointment I had in Virginia. I left Richmond in plenty of time. Everything went as usual until 45 minutes into the trip. Then I noticed that the roads were becoming increasingly rural. I ignored my uneasiness as long as I could until I found myself trapped in traffic on a two lane road. Cars in front, cars behind, nothing moving and all indications were that we were headed straight into the James River. I was trapped and I was very uncomfortable. I had no backup plan. I hadn’t brought a map and I was hopelessly lost. Not only that, but my appointment was critical and I had no idea how I was going to keep it. I fumed in my truck and finally, out of frustration, I railed at Gwendolyn. “I trusted you! I put myself in YOUR hands and look where it brought me!” Gwendolyn didn’t answer. No matter how much I fumed she remained silent. I decided to attempt to figure out how I could extricate MYSELF from this mess. Obviously, Gwendolyn had proven untrustworthy. 

Gwendolyn still refused to speak and, to add injury to insult; her little dial had the audacity to tell me that I was still going to arrive on time. To make matters worse, as soon as I decided to turn around, traffic in the opposing lane began filling the rest of the road. I couldn’t even turn around, I was trapped. 

Just then the cars in front began to move forward and due to the traffic, I was forced to follow. I rounded a corner and discovered a ferry had pulled to the river’s edge. The cars were pulling on board and I was directed to a place by a man in an orange jumpsuit. He told me to turn off the engine and take my hands off the wheel. I asked him what I was supposed to do and he told me nothing. He said “For the next half hour your job is to float. The decisions are being made by someone else.” I spent the time attempting to apologize to Gwendolyn but she still refused to speak.

When the journey on the river was over, I was told to restart the truck and drive straight ahead. I was still a little confused about what to do but, fortunately, Gwendolyn finally chose to speak. She said, “Drive .5 miles ahead and turn right.”

I am not required to know what I am going to have to do or see, other than the turn that comes next. When that is accomplished, I’m given further insight into what is required in order to reach my destination. Great men and women of God have told of voices in their head, visions, and prophecies. For me it’s rarely more than two miles of road and an occasionally warning about an upcoming turn. 

I used to think that the destination was all that my life was about. I am beginning to consider that possibly the route and faith in the route is the goal and the destination is simply the reason I’m on the road.