A GPS in Life

Prior to a trip to Michigan last August my husband borrowed a toy from a friend of his – a GPS device. You see, I’m 95 percent sure how to get to my grandmother’s house and just to make sure that I end up there I usually Mapquest the directions. But hubby thought it might be fun to try out the GPS. I complied, and we not only used it, but decided to take another route to Grandma’s just to give this new-fangled thing a rigorous workout.

Neither one of us had ever used a GPS, and I have to say the novelty of it was a blast – listening to the sultry female voice tell us to exit here, turn there, and turn around now (that directive usually came when we got off the interstate to get something to eat, a bathroom break, etc.). In the end, we made it to Grandma’s house just fine, but probably would have anyway without the GPS directing the way.

I did make mention that something like that would have really come in handy a couple of months earlier when I took several kids on a church mission trip to Knoxville. We drove to many destinations that week, and while we had written directions, I couldn’t really drive and refer to the directions at the same time. Thus, my GPS system was a 14-year-old girl attempting to read off directions while I was behind the wheel. It didn’t always work out, and more than once I had to turn around because we’d taken a wrong turn or gone the opposite way. The other adult chaperones hauling kids did have GPS systems. Needless to say, I was usually the last one arriving at the intended destination. So a GPS then would have been nice.

Anyhow, a couple of months go by, and the Christmas season is upon us. What should I get my husband for Christmas? He’s so hard to buy for. Then I remember how enthralled he was with that GPS. Yeah, I thought, it’s time to catch up with the modern day. A GPS, I thought, would be perfect. And maybe he would let me borrow it next time I had to maneuver myself in unfamiliar places. So I shop carefully and purchase what I believe to be the perfect GPS just for him – one with free lifetime maps (don’t they all have that?).

Under the tree it sat in its little gift bag for some time – until Christmas Day. And then, when it came time to open presents, his was the first. He pulled out the gift, and displayed what I would have to say was a stunned, surprised look. Oh, good – I had really done well this time. That is, if this is something that he really wanted. I asked him, and he indicated that it was – so good.

So later on in the gift-giving, my turn comes to open his gift. I tore into the gift wrap, eager to see what my hubby was giving me this Christmas, only to exhibit the same stunned, surprised look. Why, my husband had bought me a GPS! Talk about like minds!

So now we have these two GPS devices – one for me and one for him. He has yet to use his, and I’ve used mine once. I haven’t been going many places lately, but I’m sure once I get to the point where I start going places again, my GPS will see more use. Whether or not we really need two GPS devices, whereas before we had none, is up for debate. Maybe we’re just slow catching up with the technology of this twenty-first century.

But as I was thinking about the concept of the GPS, I thought how nice it might be if we all had our own inherent personal GPS systems that could steer us to where we need to go in life. I can imagine that there are so many people, like me, who are stuck in sort of a dead zone and are trying to figure the best way out. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a device that could tell you exactly what to do, or where to go, to help you get to your desired destination?

After all, I think many of us seem to lose our way in life more than we do on the road. When one is stuck in a hole of personal abyss, where is the GPS to lead that person out?

The answer, of course, is that life’s not that simple. As a Christian, I suppose Scripture might be the GPS of choice for many who need to find their way out of the abyss. And from a practical standpoint, there are resources – self-help products and such – that can help lead people in different directions to improve their lives.

But nothing that says, “Do this, go there, and you will definitely end up here.” Unlike a GPS that guarantees that you will make it to your intended destination, there is no such device in life that can give such precise directions or assure that you will end up where you want to be.

In life, we have to figure all this out for ourselves. In some aspects, that is good because it enables people to weigh all the options themselves. Unlike a GPS, the human mind can decide whether an alternate destination or a detour would be the best way to go. A GPS is good at giving directions, but as humans we have the capability to go beyond taking directions. Maybe there are some who might even figure out that their intended destination is not even where they want to go.

My ramblings are just that. Most days I wish I had a GPS built into my body, directing my every step, leading me to certain success in life. But I realize our internal GPS systems are formed throughout life, through our upbringing, our education, our concepts of right and wrong, our spirituality, our philosophies, and the wisdom that we draw from our years on this earth. I know that my real GPS here is already in me, in my brain, and I have to rely on that to direct me.

But my internal GPS has malfunctioned. Perhaps a short in the wiring? Maybe I just need a charge. Stuck in the dead zone, I am, with a GPS that’s going crazy. Sometimes it tells me to go in all different directions in hopes that I’ll end up somewhere. Other times it freezes up, rendered clueless about whether any direction will get me out. Still many other times, it shows me directions but indicates that I don’t have the skills that it will take to travel to any desired destination.

So what do I do? I don’t really have the answers now, except that I hope eventually my GPS will straighten itself out. Perhaps some twist of fate will be the answer. A big break. A dose of dogged determination, maybe? Or sheer persistence. Any one of these has the potential to fix my frazzled GPS.

Whatever the solution might be, I haven’t lost faith yet. I have to believe that at some point I’ll find myself headed in the right direction. I pray daily that I will.

I imagine that someday I’ll look back on this time on my life and have one of those “Footprint in the Sand” moments. You know – a realization that there was only one set of footprints and that is the time in my life where God carried me.

It will be interesting to see where God eventually carries me. Most certainly He knows where to go.

But just in case He doesn’t, no worries. I have an extra GPS that He can borrow.

Going Insane at Sam's Club

It happened again today – as it does every time I enter into a store to pick up just “a few things.” It turns out to be more than just a few things and ends up costing me. This morning it was Sam’s Club.

I didn’t really want to go out at all, but had to visit the doctor to have some routine blood work done. So once I left there I decided it was a good time to go purchase the gift for the baby shower I’m attending on Sunday. So I drive to Babies R Us, except it’s 9:30 and Babies R Us doesn’t open until 10:00. And guess what’s nearby? That’s right. Sam’s Club.

Now being that I am an esteemed business member (or at least my church is, and I have the card since I buy all the cleaning supplies), I’m allowed to grace the hallowed halls of this warehouse haven prior to the 10:00 opening time (when all the commoners are allowed in). So I figured I’d just go hang out at Sam’s Club for a half an hour. Besides, I reasoned, I do need some laundry detergent. And, say, Sam’s does have those jumbo bags of pretzel chips that I like so much.

But that is all I would buy  -- I swore. So I sauntered into the store, armed with a shopping cart only because the laundry detergent would be too heavy to carry. I certainly didn’t get a cart because I was planning to leave with anything other than the intended two items – laundry detergent and pretzels.

But somehow, it never works out that way. There’s always other crap that you have to have. Oooh, a three-pack of Soft Scrub – should I get the lemon or the Soft Scrub with bleach? (I really prefer the lemon but the stuff with the bleach is the only thing that will get my white porcelain kitchen sink looking decent.) I can’t decide. So I get both.

Oh, gotta have soft drinks – my kids practically inhale them. And at Sam’s Club, you can get the cans 32 to the case. Coke is a must. Buy hey, what about me? Get some Diet Coke too. The logic continues as I continue to pour products into my cart – paper towels, dry Swiffers, frozen sausage biscuits, a five-pound block of cheese, and a 24-can case of V-8 (low sodium) for when I finally knuckle down and start adding more vegetables to my diet.

In my defense, none of this is stuff that will go to waste (except maybe the V-8, depending on how good or how bad I am). But that’s not the point. I guess I’m just vulnerable. Though I was determined as steel to come out of there with just the two items, I fell short of my goal. To be honest, though, it’s not just Sam’s Club that brings me down. It happens at the regular grocery store too – where a few items quickly turns into a lot.

I suspect that I’m not the only one that suffers this weakness. Maybe it’s just in our nature to succumb to the temptations of excess. And what could be more excessive than Sam’s Club? They deal in mass quantities, for goodness sake!

As for this morning, I spent $127. It could have been worse, I suppose. Perhaps I can blame my friend, the expectant mother. After all, if Babies R Us had been open I probably wouldn’t have gone to Sam’s Club this morning. Or maybe I can blame the church – it was the business membership that got me in the door. No, it was the doctor’s office for scheduling the blood work so early.

It was their fault. After all, I certainly can’t be to blame.

But just to be safe, next time I need a baby gift, maybe I’ll just head to Target down the street (yikes, no. Might spend there too.). Or the mall? Well, better not. Send my husband out to do it? Okay, not happening.

I suppose I should just be resigned to the fact that on occasion I’m going to overspend. But at least it’s on stuff I use – food and toilet paper and such.  The first time I come home with a big fancy, useless thingamabob…well, then all hope is lost.

Winter's Lore

Today snow covers the ground. Not much, but just enough to emphasize the essence of the season.

And what is that essence? Think cold and blustery. Think dark. Think dreary. And depressing.

That is how I view winter. Truth be told, I hate this time of year. After the Christmas tree comes down right after New Year’s, I would just as soon go into hibernation until March, or even April. But alas, humans are not made that way. We must muddle through and conduct our lives the best we can – seasonal affective disorder or not.

Yet, as I ponder why we can’t just skip the first couple of months each year, I realize that maybe winter, too, has its purpose. Perhaps winter was meant to be a season of cleansing – cleansing the earth in preparation for all the imminent new growth that spring brings. For many of us, it’s a time to cleanse our souls, also. After all, Lent – a period of somber reflection – begins in the dead of winter and ends at Easter as spring burgeons.

Yet while “cleansing” may be necessary, it’s not always pleasant. Am I resigned to the fact that there isn’t anything at all pleasant about winter? This is where I need to adjust my attitude. What, what, what is so positive about winter? Think hard, I tell myself. Let me see…

Okay. I like the hearth and the roaring fires that my husband prepares during winter’s darkest depths. They definitely make for a cozy atmosphere. So chock that one up for winter.

And when there is snow, I like to watch the birds as they eat off the feeders hanging off the maple tree in the background. The cardinals, especially, provide a vivid contrast to the ground’s pure white. It makes me want to take a photo.

But this year’s winter has been unusually mild. So far, it’s been sprinkled with lots of overcast days, and a fair amount of rain. But no snow. Until last night. Just a covering, and not very pretty either. But I digress.

So what else? Well, there is the solitude of the season. It’s a slower time where we can all just kick back and relax a little. No sports, and no sports practices to get to. That means less hustle and bustle and more family time (and dinnertime meals at a reasonable hour). That’s definitely something I can appreciate.

So, maybe winter isn’t as bad as I make it out to be. Perhaps this time of year has its own attributes that I just take for granted. In fact, maybe if I sit and think a little longer, I could come up with a few more good things about this current season. Still, it’s not my favorite and probably never will be. I yearn for the sun to shine, for warmer days and mostly for the new beginnings symbolic of spring. It should only be a few more weeks. Then perhaps I can regain some zest and approach life at full thrust.

In the meantime, I think I’ll go sit by the fire.