What if Jesus were our satnav?

Anyone who has been on a car journey with me will know that me and directions are a recipe for some sort of disaster.

I'm the sort of person who has to know precisely where they're going (due to having driven the journey plenty of times previously) or clings helplessly to their satnav (and still manages to screw up).

Direction in life is a funny thing (though I don't mean laugh out loud funny).

Again, if you know me, I'm quite (?!) an organised, logical person. I have to know where I'm going on the roads but also in the course of life.

Throughout school I worked my butt off to get good grades with the ultimate goal of going to a really good-looking-to-other-people university, on a flipping good course before going straight into employment and working up that ladder - to money, lots of dosh. That was the direction for my life. 

But then came the spanner in the works. Or should I say the "light in the darkness"; Jesus. I came into (and am still journeying in) relationship with him. 

I'm trying on a daily basis to give Jesus control. 
The aim is to plug him in as my satnav and follow his direction one step at a time. Jesus as satnav - now that sounds like an adventure to me!

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it..." (Matthew 16:25a NLT)

I'm not saying it's an easy road following this fella 'Jesus'. He's birthed in me a dream and a vision but I don't have a clue as to how I'm going to get there (well I do have some ideas), I don't know where I'm going to end up - but the joy, the adventure and the excitement are in the journey. 

And I am absolutely buzzing for what he has planned for my life and in the lives of those around me who are surrendering to his will. What could be more exciting than living out your unique, true purpose and calling in life?

Now there's also the danger of becoming static with fear. How do we get to our destination if we turn off the car engine? The satnav can't do anything. The 'magic' of satnavs is that even if we take a wrong turning, they automatically reroute. But we have to make the choice to give Jesus the power to be our satnav and surrender to him, only then will he reroute our lives. 

"In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight..." (Proverbs 3:6 NLT)

It's ok not to be in control. It's ok to hand over the directions to someone who, to put it bluntly, knows way better than we do, because as humans we're limited beings. 

"...but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Matthew 16:25b NLT)

Its taking the signpost off "me" and pointing it to the one who has the fuller plan for every single life.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says The Lord, plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

I'll keep you posted

Journey vs. Destination

For starters; how the heck is it already 2015? 2008 feels like flipping last year. But anyway, as we transition into another year, I've been thinking again about journey vs. destination.

My very wise Aussie mum, Tammy, first introduced me to this idea last year when talking about plane journeys. Of course the 22ish hour plane journey to Australia is what puts some people off visiting - and boy it sounds oh so horrendous. However, I recall Tammy expressing something along the lines of, "yeah but it's hours of being allowed to sit and eat plane food (which I flipping love I'll have you know!) and watch movies, how could that get much better?" In our very busy society, we surely should value the times when we have nothing but movies, food (and potentially friends/family, games, books etc. too!) to accompany us? 

And it got me thinking didn't it - and I've been mulling over it ever since (dramatic right!).

What do I mean by "destination"? I mean anything. Whether it is literally that plane journey to another country, or reaching that 16/18/21 etc. age bracket, the achievement of the 3 pound weight loss, the Friday evening no-work-all-weekend feeling, etc. (I could go on and on but I won't bore you).

We live in a microwave (says mum) society - as in, consumeristic society where we want results NOW. And we want results faster. We want our food microwavable in 90 seconds. We want to look noticeably more toned after that one-off session at the gym. We want that gorgeously sun-kissed tan after just an hour of two in the sun. 

And believe me, I know this mentality all too well. So many times I've been so focused on that end goal (which is by no means a terrible way of being) - however, I think there's then the danger of by-passing the joy of the present; the joy of the journey. 

The 'present'; a gift. 

I think the secret, or a potential secret to overcoming this 'issue' is gratitude. There is great power in thankfulness, it helps to create a positive mind-set. 
Instead of seeing the crappy stuff of the 'journey', and longing for the destination, we start to appreciate and recognise the gifts of the present. 
We start to see with fresh eyes; with a new lens; into a new dimension.

So I've put gratitude on my 2015 to-do list (yes, yes I made a list and I would very much recommend doing so - I like lists) - the aim is to journal 3 things a day that I am thankful for - let's see how that goes shall we!

This is my challenge to you.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"

I'll keep you posted.