"Recalculating Route"

GPS Recalculating Route

the trusty road atlas

I guess, by now, just about everyone owns some type of GPS device; whether it's the old school Garmin suction cupped to your car windshield, or your smartphone, or the GPS that came standard on your vehicle (which is obviously much newer than mine.) In the old days, if you were trying to get from Point A to Point B, you had to rely on a map. But even with a map, you had to figure out the best route to take. And then you had to try to not kill yourself and others while you periodically glanced over at the map.

But now, the magical GPS device not only routes you to your intended destination, but it also gives you turn-by-turn directions as you go. How did we ever get anywhere in the old days? Oh yeah, that's right.... we sometimes got lost or went the wrong way.

As a Christian, I strive to live my life in accordance with how God wants me to live. I believe that God has a will for my life and my desire is to live in such a way that I am in His will. Ultimately, God desires to be in relationship with me (you too!) and, because of the saving work of Jesus, I, despite my sin, have been restored into relationship with Him.

I have had conversations over the years with fellow Christians who have lamented to me about some thought, action or direction they have taken that they believe has taken them outside of God's will. And because of that, they struggle with the fear that they may have strayed too far from God and cannot find their way back. They feel like they are off-track...they feel lost. They may believe that God is mad at them and maybe has turned His back on them.

Gotten off track? Who hasn't?

Have you ever disobeyed your GPS? Maybe you deliberately chose to not follow the turn-by-turn direction because you thought you had a better way to get to where you were going. Sometimes we just get busy or distracted and sometimes we just miss a turn. If your GPS is like mine, you likely have heard these comforting words.... "recalculating route." Sure, you have gotten off track but your GPS knows where it is you want to go and it does not give up on you. If you get off route, it simply considers where you now are.... even if you are way off track, and assures you that it can still get you to where you are going.

I think God is a lot like my GPS. If you are seeking God and have a desire to be on the road leading to Him, he'll get you home. He can work with the wrong turns you have made. He can provide a new way to get there even when you deliberately ignore the previous instructions. "Recalculating route." Every time my GPS says that I get the assurance that I can still get to where I am going.

Repent! U Turns Allowed!

Sometimes I have gotten so far off track when traveling that my GPS gives me a very interesting instruction... "at the next safe location....turn around." You know you've messed up when you get that command. "Turn around." You need to do a complete change of direction when you get that one. Most of us are familiar with the word- repent. It's one of those bible words that we don't say very often and we might think it's one of those weighty theological terms. But it has a pretty simple definition. Repent basically means turn around... maybe more specifically- change the way you think. Sometimes I simply need to make some minor adjustments. Sometimes I need to repent!

Can you imagine if, when you got too far off track, that your GPS said... "I'm done with you. You obviously do not want to listen to me and my guidance so you are on your own. Goodbye." What kind of GPS would that be?

Your GPS does not do that.... it will continue, no matter what, to keep working to get you to your destination. God does not give up on you either. No matter how off-track you have gotten, He continues to say, "OK... I can still get you home from there." He's always working to get us home... to Himself.

Next time your GPS says "recalculating route," I want you to smile and think about how your Heavenly Father is there always guiding you to where you need to go.

ATTENTION: Turn signals do not lower your MPG

If you have filled your car up with gasoline lately, you have probably experienced sticker shock. Gasoline prices are near or, in some states, over $4.00 per gallon. My truck holds 22 gallons of gas. Do the math. The first new car I ever bought ( that came with a payment coupon book) was a 1974 aqua blue Chevrolet Camaro. My monthly payments were $134 a month. I now spend more in gas for my truck each month than what I used to pay to buy an entire car.

People are concerned with their fuel mileage. Some have traded in their older vehicles for newer models or hybrids or electric cars to lower their fuel costs.

Apparently, some drivers think they can conserve fuel by not using some of the comfort features of their cars. We all know that using your air conditioner puts added strain on the engine, thereby using more fuel. Now, I'm no electrical or mechanical engineer but I am pretty certain that not using you radio won't do much to help your car's fuel efficiency. Based on the extremely loud thumping sounds I hear from some vehicles with very tall, shiny rims, most folks continue to "turn it up."

But, did anyone advise people to not use their turn signals?

What the heck is up with people and turn signals? I know that it is incredibly inconvenient to use them. I mean, you have to lean across the seat, open the glove box and push a button to activate them. Oh wait, that's not right...the turn signal lever is on the steering column 1.786 inches from your hand. Gee, what an effort that requires.

Many drivers today have no common courtesy (or common sense.) Georgia law requires that you turn on your headlights when it is raining. The law also requires that you use your turn signals when you turn or change lanes. I think the reason that many drivers ignore these two mandates is because headlights when raining and turn signals don't actually benefit them...it is for the benefit of other drivers. And really, who gives a rat's chapeau about other drivers anymore?

Have you ever been at a stop sign trying to make a right hand turn and had to wait for the traffic coming from your left to pass so that you could make your move? Of course you have. But there is always that car approaching from your left that is moving fast enough that you believe that it is going straight so you wait. And then the car (with no turn signal on) turns right onto your street. Had you known, you could have already turned. But you didn't and now there are more cars coming and you still can't turn. Maybe they didn't put turn signals on that particular model of car. Sure.

I asked someone one time why they didn't use their turn signals (I still call them blinkers)...told me they were saving gas by using less electricity. You know, there should be some intelligence testing element to the driving test.

Hey, if you are going to turn your vehicle, how about letting us know about it...and not just 2 yards before you actually do it? Also, don't ride around with your turn signals on if you are NOT turning. That's even worse.

Thank you. I feel better

Driving. Me. Crazy.

I am not a patient driver. There, I said it. The first step, they say, to overcoming a bad habit is to admit your problem. I have to confess that bad drivers drive me crazy. I'm not totally sure why.

There is a part of me that gets so frustrated by the danger they are to everyone on the road. You know the kind of drivers I'm talking about. I've seen people driving while doing all sorts of things. Texting? Oh sure that's a problem but how about driving while putting on makeup, reading a newspaper, or changing clothes...? Seriously? I've seen all of these numerous times.

Green means go

Then there are the poky drivers. If you are the first car in line at a red light, you have a moral responsibility to all the other drivers behind you....its like you are the leader of the parade. When the light turns green, you must first check to see that all the cars coming from both sides are actually going to stop at their red light and then ....MOVE...get going.... at a safe speed that allows as many cars behind you to get through the light before it turns yellow. I have seen occasions where there are 10 or more cars backed up at a red light and only 3 cars get through the intersection.....THREE! I know, I know...I should just be patient and hey, if it takes 3 cycles of the traffic light for me to get through the intersection, what's the big deal? Its only time. But it drives me crazy. It is so discourteous to other drivers. You may think that I am a horn honker. I'm not... unless someone is so asleep at the wheel for so long that they need a little wake up call.

I also don't do well when traffic is just backed up and running slowly. I will take an alternate route that adds 10 miles to my trip just so I can keep moving.

I took a driver education course my junior year of high school. We had driver's ed at my school but the order in which you could take the course was determined alphabetically based on your last name. That meant I would have to wait until the end of that school year before we got to the TUVWXYZ people. So I paid for private lessons. My instructor was incredible! He taught me so many things that I remember to this day. If the speed limit is 55, go 55, not 50, not 52...55 (he didn't encourage speeding either.) When you get to a YIELD sign....yield....then GO. Some people must think that YIELD is French for GIVE UP. 

Sir Isaac Newton..no relation to Fig

He also instilled in me a recognition of what a privilege and huge responsibility it is to drive an automobile. To wield control of a 2 ton vehicle traveling at speeds of 60-70 mph is a serious thing. A 4000 lb car at 70 mph generates 654,686 ft/lbf of kinetic energy. 






That's a lot of mass at a lot of velocity. But some drivers drive as if they are in a balsa wood soap box derby car going 5 mph.


I'm not sure why I get so bothered by bad drivers. I guess part of it is that something that should safely take 15 minutes shouldn't take 25. Driving is also a matter of courtesy. Don't block the intersection, don't creep along in the left lane, don't speed, don't clip or paint your fingernails while driving, don't tailgate, don't fail to use your turn signals, don't cut people off, don't fail to let someone into the traffic flow if it is safe to do so, move over, get a room, put your child in a car seat, pull over for emergency vehicles, pull over and show some respect when the funeral procession comes by....I mean drive like you have some sense.


OK...I feel a bit better. Until tomorrow when I have to hit the streets again. Lord, give me patience. They're driving me crazy.