Daily Devotionals

Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life

Devotional: November 2nd

Directions. Some people know how to give them, others don't. Some people know how to follow them, others don't. The odd thing is, depending on who raised you, you might be directionally challenged. How people find things and the thought processes they use to do so are as unique as thumbprints. There are those who logically process information and organize it in an orderly manner. Then there are those who simply can't seem to put two-and-two together and come up with anything but five; but they still get places.

In 1970 I had gone to Millersport, Ohio to spend some time with my cousins on my dad's side of the family. My cousin Terri and I were relatively (no pun intended) close in age and interests. She decided that what we needed to do was get some of her friends and head to Lancaster for the evening.. I drove and she navigated. When we got close to Lancaster I asked her which way I was to turn at the coming intersection. She replied, "Right." As I approached the intersection I put on my left turn signal and turned left.

The rest of the people in the car were, as we used to say, spazzin' out. I made the left turn. Everyone except me was looking at Terri for her to be angry that I had made the wrong turn. A couple of minutes went by and Terri said, "Hang a left up here, the place is on the left. We'll park across the street from it." That was when they could no longer contain themselves. One of them blurted out, "How did we get here when you told him to turn right and he turned left?" Terri and I just looked at each other. We had no explanation. For some inexplicable reason when Terri told me to turn right I heard left in her voice. So I went left; and it was right.

Simple directions. Turn this way or that. Directions can be complicated for some larger metropolitan areas. People raised in the city give directions differently than those raised in the country. And they understand them differently. City people look for street names and count streets. Country folk look for landmarks and tell you to go about so far. But the bottom line always comes down to one thing; never ask directions from someone who doesn't know where you're going.

I have always been amazed at the wealth of directions offered, by those who have no relationship with Christ, as to the way to get to heaven. Live a certain way, do this but don't do that. They have all the answers until you look at their lives and talk to them and realize that they have no intention of going to heaven. They'd like to, but they don't really want to all that badly. If you really want directions ask someone who has been there. "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' " John 14:6