GPS for Life
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“Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 NIV
I got lost today. Not physically but in my head. We use GPS and maps to find our way to destinations. GPS – Global Positioning System – gives us position, navigation, and timing. Whenever I go to some place I have never been, I put the address into my vehicle’s GPS. Sometimes the directions take me out of the way or through an area I do not want to go. Sometimes I take a wrong turn. Each of these incidents causes recalculating to happen with the GPS. I used the GPS this past week to travel to a funeral. It got me there with a few times of recalculating, but it took me directly to where I needed to be.
So is there a GPS for my head? Do you need directions to get out of your head too? Worry, anxiety, fears, and the past take us in circles within our thoughts. This past week, I have been writing and remembering the past with my dear companion dog, Annie. There were nights I felt stuck in those memories and my mind was foggy. I felt like I was living in those memories which brought sadness that she is not with me. I got lost in those thoughts and could not adjust back into my present situation.
Then I got lost in my head as I tried to understand a situation. It did not make sense to why it happened or even how I was so consumed in trying to make sense of it. Then I tried to understand a family member and got lost in the conversation. My head was trying to comprehend her thought pattern and to decipher her words. I got lost. These are just some examples of how I got lost in my head this week. My thoughts were focused on figuring out all that I was taking in and staying on the merry-go-round without filtering out what was important. That is worry. We worry about things that do not really matter or that are not relevant to us or that we have no control over. We get stuck. Need a GPS for your head?
I found one – the Bible. God’s word always leads us to Jesus. When we release our thoughts and worries to Jesus, He reminds us that He has us and cares about us. He reassures us we are not alone and when we surrender our thoughts and worries to Him, He will help us navigate in His perfect timing.
You may accept that the Bible is your guiding light and when you read and follow God’s word, there is a sense of peace and assurance that you are not alone. You know it in your head, but you just cannot get out of your own head. How do we do it? We need to silence the world first in our heads – give ourselves some silence to hear God about the shouts of this world. The noise of the world heightens our worry and anxiety. It tells us we are not doing enough. The world is all bad and you have to be in control and carry the load. You think you have to figure everything out by yourself and your own strength. That is how we get so lost because there is too much going on and you cannot make sense out of it all and navigate the rough waters. Your head takes in all the opinions and views around you, and you cannot distinguish between what is God’s will and the noise of the world.
The GPS guidance on my friend’s vehicle was difficult to hear over the radio because it was not set to have the audio stop when the GPS spoke. I believe that is what happens in our heads. We do not stop the worry and anxiety that is instilled in us from the world nor do we silence all the voices outside of us, so we can hear the still calming voice of God. The Bible can only guide us if we read it and listen to the Holy Spirit speak to us through the words.
In using GPS, I had to trust its guidance. I could not see the end destination just the next step. It is the same with trusting God to guide us. We need to get out of our own heads of trying to figure everything out and just trust God one step at a time. God will give us the next step that is right in front of us. God will not give us the entire destination.
How did I get out of my own head this past week? I sat quietly in my sunroom, soaked in the quiet and began to focus on what was around me bringing me to the present. I thanked God for Annie and the memories and asked God to direct me in passing on her legacy. I prayed for the situation and family member and released it all to God. I felt God’s peace. I asked God to navigate, and I surrendered the timing to Him. Position God in control. Let God navigate in His time.
