How many times have you mindlessly used google maps, or another internet source for direction? I use google maps all the time! It is my go-to when I am lost, or by myself driving, or need directions to one of the kids sporting events. According to Google :), Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average, which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide. I'm not sure, but I'd be curious as to God's search queries per second, day, and year.
My middle son, whom we lovingly refer to as "Buddy", had basketball practice last night. He is playing basketball this year over in Berkeley Springs, and even though Berkeley is not that far from where we live, I rarely go over there. Trying to make the most use of my time, while he was at practice, I ran over to the grocery store in Berkeley. I had to use Google Maps to get there, and of course I had to use it to get back.
I am not a fan of driving, let alone driving at night. On my way back to the school, google maps took me on the back roads. It was dark, the West Virginia roads were winding, and I had an unhappy pick-up truck behind me flashing his high beams in my rear view mirror---which I can imagine was due to my continuous slow speed, and braking at random moments. I began thinking how trusting we are, I am, in things like Google maps. Did google maps get me to my destination, yes. But, I had no idea where the stop signs were, or which roads were narrow, or that there was a one-lane bridge. I had no familiarity with the landscape.
What if we were to blindly follow our Lord, the way we follow google.
Since Jayse's death in May of 2017, the Lord has set my husbands heart on fire for Jesus. He got saved later in May 2017, and has been completely consumed with studying, listening, and learning everything he can about God and his word. When the mention of him going into the pastoral ministry was brought up, he would say, 'Oh no....I don't think I can do that.' (or something along those lines). But as time went on, I think he knew where the Lord was pushing him. Sometime in the summer of 2018, he text me jokingly asking if I wanted to move to Florida. My response was "LOL....sure". Chris found a college in Florida. We scheduled a trip to visit the college in September, he applied to the college and was accepted in late October, and we decided in November that this was what we were going to do.
We are planning to move down to Florida in late June/early July. We don't know where we are going to live, and we don't know where I am going to work. We plan on selling our house here in PA, and I am in the process of getting a FL teaching certificate. We aren't sure what life in FL will look like, but we know it will be very different from our life in PA. We will be going from a 2 income family to 1 income. Our children will be going from our rural school district (appox 909 students according to Wikipedia-- this is for grades K-12) to schools that are 4 times that just at the High School level. But we are trusting that all of that will work out, because it will. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Are we crazy? You may think so. Leaving everything and everyone we know and love, uprooting, and moving to a new place where we'll know no one, it sounds crazy. I mean my husband has lived on the same road his entire life!! All the houses he's lived in (3), are within a football field length of each other. SO yes, moving to Florida, or even the idea of moving to FL is just not normal. But...we feel as though this is what is in God's plans for us. The truth of the matter is that I can thankfully teach anywhere. I think my step-mom said it best when I shared with her our plans---and I'm paraphrasing-- 'thinking that Jayse's death brought you two to Christ, and that now we will serve to bring others to Christ--still so many lives to be influenced by Jayse's death.'
God is so amazing. He loves us and takes care of us. He takes our garbage, mistakes, tragedies, and broken filthy hearts, he creates beauty from all that rubbish. In this new year, I would encourage you to trust, and build a relationship with our Lord and Savior. Now maybe your trusting God is not moving to Florida, and that's great! Because he has a plan for each and everyone of us. He commands us in Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
I'd love to talk with you more about my Christian journey to trusting in Jesus, as always, feel free to email me at mwhitt613@gmail.com
May God bless you!
