We Still Got Lost

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Our car’s glove box was full of them growing up. So were the side pockets of the car doors. Mom sat in the navigator’s seat, a place of honor and strategy. Reading maps and directing us to our destination was her job. We had every kind of map imaginable—city, state, and region. We even had the famed Atlas, a large soft-cover book you could buy at your local convenience store. However, we still got lost.

Many years later, we graduated from foldable maps—a monumental graduation to online maps. We could type in the route on our computer, study the map, print it, and take it with us while attempting to reach our final destination. No more folding un-foldable maps!

We quickly ditched printout maps once GPS made its debut. The great big device was mounted on the car dashboard, blocking our vision (no wonder we still got lost). And finally, our cell phones became our guiding light, instructing us step by step with voices and images. So, why do I still get lost?

Getting Lost

No matter how much I pay attention, I always make a wrong turn. The GPS tries to prevent wrong turns, but I still manage to miss the directions. All those lines, curves, and blue-highlighted routes on my phone leave me seeing cross-eyes. Let me be honest. I get lost on our Greenway, a path for walkers, joggers, and bikers, peppered with signage everywhere you turn. Somehow, I find myself off the path, down the street, on some random sidewalk heading in the wrong direction. My supposed one-hour bike ride just became a marathon.

As I laugh at my knack for getting lost, I can’t help but wonder how it might mirror my spiritual life. Sometimes, I am unsure which way to go, what turn to make, or where the destination is. Over the years, I’ve become less concerned about the destination, so that’s a good thing. I’ve ditched timing altogether as I’ve learned that God’s time and my time are usually incompatible. He is a God that’s on time, and I am not. The destination, come to find out, isn’t as important as the journey. The time spent traveling is where we explore, experience, learn, and grow. Transformation happens on the way to our destination, not upon arrival.

Navigation Tools

Jesus told us that He is the way. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6); and the early Christians were called “Followers of the Way.” If He is the Way, and I’m following The Way, why do I still get lost or temporarily adrift. I can’t say I’ve figured it out. But I do have some ideas.

1. Ask—starting with the ask, we can pray for specific directions. As we dialogue with the Lord, let’s ask where He wants to direct us. That being said, we have to be willing to be led. The Lord may have a different plan for us, and we have to be okay with that. If we come with our set directives, it’s hard for Jesus to lead.

2. Listening—can be tricky. Let’s face it: most of us like to do the talking. We can all work on listening, specifically active listening, the kind that’s not preparing a response or a story to follow. Actively listening to the Lord is hard, especially when we aren’t hearing an immediate answer.

3. Timing—when it’s unclear which way to go, don’t move, wait. If you are unsure how to move forward, perhaps it’s not the right time, or all the information has yet to be revealed. Plus, patience, as they say, is a virtue. 

4. Humility—we can’t always have what we want when we want it. Humility is key to following The Way, as is temperance. Chances are, God knows better. 

Finding Direction

So, I am still learning and, thankfully, not entirely lost. But somewhere on the journey, with a deep desire to follow. I don’t always recognize the path or understand the timing, and I still take wrong turns—on trails and in life. However, if Jesus is The Way, I must keep showing up with a willing heart—even when the route feels unclear. If He is the Truth, I must root myself in His Word, letting it shape my sense of direction. And if He is the Life, then even my missteps and detours can become places of grace because being with Him is the path, even when the next step feels uncertain.