June 10, 2024
And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NRSV
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Change can be disorientating. And many things in our travels to Mississippi were disorienting. We got into New Orleans Airport later that we’d hoped due to our flight being diverted. We hopped on the shuttle to take us to the car rental facility, and after a brief wait, hit the road in a Chrysler minivan. I took the wheel, and we headed towards Ocean Springs. Many of the controls on the dash board were not lighted up, so although we could see the Waze Screen, the speedometer, and the sound system, items like cruise control and the controls to change the temperature did not light up. I realize these are first world problems, but nonetheless difficult to adapt to, especially in a strange place around midnight.
We were driving back to our hotel after dinner on our final evening with family, and a driver pulled up beside us, rolled his window down, and yelled something. We finally discerned his words, “No tail lights.” We had driven four days, sometimes in the evening, without even realizing that the tail lights were not turned on. Who knew that there was a control on the dash to turn the tail lights on and off? Not us!
God’s voice is often like that, a word behind us, showing the way. I met a woman in Honduras years ago who said, “Sometimes I need to slow down and wait for the Spirit to catch up with me.”
The biggest disorientation of all for the family was the death of Rod’s father. Grief is uncomfortable, messy, and not bound by our expectations, especially our expectations about how long grief will last. This is a good time to slow down and wait for the Spirit to catch up with us. If we pay attention, God, like that kind driver in Mississippi, will direct the next step.
Don’t rush! Blessings, ~ Anne
Wayfinding 