I am a gadget man. I don't have much in terms of jewelry, virtually none in fact.
I don't have a fancy house or wear fancy clothes (except Sunday). But I do have a lot of gadgets.
I bought a new GPS unit. A GPS unit is a Global Positioning System receiver.
The GPS system was developed by the military to guide missiles to their targets and other military things.
It's the system that allows you to determine exactly where you are anywhere on earth. GPS allows cars with built-in navigation systems to direct you to where you are going.
This unit, a Garmin GPSV, sits on the dash of the car. I loaded the detailed map of Atlanta and was ready for the unit to tell me how to get anywhere in the city that I wanted to go.
I tested it with places where I knew where I was going.
It directed me there perfectly. Telling me in advance which way to turn and how far I had to go before the next turn.
My confidence grew in the GPSV and its ability to lead me where I wanted to go. A couple of things that the manual didn't tell me were quickly answered by tech support and I was now navigating with ease.
This makes it easy as I travel. I can download the map of the city that I am going to before I leave. When I get there and rent a car, I just put the unit on the dash, program where I am going, and let it tell me how to get there.
Today, my wife asked me to drive her to the doctor. She is 7 months pregnant and wanted me to drive her. I told her OK.
The appointment was at 10am and she asked me to come home by 9:15.
I had an early morning meeting and left the meeting in time to arrive home in ample time.
The doctor had moved since my wife last saw him. She had a general idea where to go and had even printed out computer directions from a mapping service on the Internet.
I entered the address into GPSV and punched "Go To."
"Are you sure that thing works?" my wife asked.
"Yes, I'm sure it will take us straight there," I replied.
"My computer directions say we will get there in 30 minutes and I don't want to be late," my wife commented.
It was 9:25 as we were leaving. The computer directions would have us there by 9:55 if there were no traffic snarls.
"This will get us there, Puddin," I said as we drove away and the GPSV locked on the satellites.
We got to the expressway, the GPSV said to go West, Puddin's computer sheet said to go East.
Puddin raised a concerned eyebrow as I headed West; the arrow on the GPSV was steadily pointing West. It took us to a back road.
Puddin sat up with a furrowed brow.
"I've never been this way before! This doesn't look right! I am going to be late!" she exclaimed.
I hadn't been that way before either. The path did look unfamiliar and somewhat suspect.
The GPSV twisted and turned as it took us through a labyrinth of roads. Puddin got increasingly anxious.
"Didn't you want me to drive you?" I asked.
"Yes, but it looks like that thing doesn't know where it's going and I think we are going in circles," she said.
"Sit back and relax, not only will you get there, but you will get there early. This is a lesson in life. It is a little thing. Worry won't help. You don't have to drive, just relax,
I will get you there," I said.
Puddin was sitting straight up. She and a 7-month-old baby in the womb were on edge. I stopped the Jeep.
"Lean the seat back and relax," I said.
"I don't want to lean back, I don't want to relax, and we are going to be late."
"If you don't lean the seat back, I will pull the Jeep into that parking lot and not move until you lean back and relax," I insisted.
Reluctantly, under the threat of not moving at all, Puddin leaned the seat back.
"Now close your eyes."
"I don't want to close my eyes."
"Eyes closed or parking lot," I said.
We pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's building at 9:42am, 13 minutes ahead and almost twice as fast as the computer's directions. The little GPSV accurately led us the shortest and fastest way to our destination.
We need to rely more on GPS.
Not the Global Positioning System, but the “God Positioning System”.
We don't know all of the roads. We don't know the shortest route. We can't even see an overview of all of the territory.
If we just learn to depend upon the right kind of GPS, follow the directions, and relax along the way, it would make all of our journeys a lot smoother.
I am sitting here in the doctor's office now typing this issue on my laptop. The doctor has not come into the examination room yet. It's 10:55.
Puddin is getting antsy again.
I can almost hear God telling some of you now:
"Sit back and relax, not only will you get there, but you will get there early. This is a lesson in life. It is a little thing. Worry won't help. You don't have to drive, just relax,
I will get you there. If you don't learn to relax and trust me, I will pull over and leave you parked until you have faith enough."
You are not going in circles, though you often think that you are.
You will get there, though it may not be in the timing that you choose. You do need to close your eyes and relax while the right GPS system works.
As the doctor's lateness nears the 1-hour mark, I tell Puddin again as I tell you. . .
"This is a lesson in life. Sit back close your eyes and relax.
~A MountainWing original~
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
