My friend settled in the
driver's seat. “Ready?”
“Sure am.” Seated in the passenger's seat, I buckled
my seat belt. “Good thing we have that GPS to guide us, huh?”
Her new luxurious car promised to make our two-hour
trip a true delight. All those gadgets that resemble a spaceship fascinated me.
But the fun came to a halt when we hopped on the
highway. The voice coming from the dashboard telling us which turns to make went
funky. As we passed each exit, she announced, “Next exit, make right.”
We knew the route, and that wasn't the way to go.
My friend tried to change the commands, turn off the
voice, and lower the volume, but nothing worked.
“Next exit, make right.” Her voice came on every time
we approached an exit.
After about 45 minutes of this, exasperated, my friend
smacked the dash. “Shut up, Tillie.”
You and I have our own “Tillies”. We do. As we're
riding down the highway of peace and contentment, Tillie speaks out lies over
and over again: “You're not going to make it through this episode, you'll never
lose that weight, the husband you want doesn't exist, this illness will do you
in, and you'll never find the right job. You're getting older and life is
passing you by.”
Sigh. How annoying, even disturbing at times. That's
because Tillie is wired to detour us, leading us to the ditches of anxiety and
right into the woods of worry.
While her nagging voice echoes, we fight road rage and
move forward on the highway of life. With every turn, we grow ever so tired,
weary and weak.
But dear friend, “Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will
not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives
strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:28-29)
How about you? This writer, looking for a little
understanding, decided to admit weakness, recognize fatigue and with candor,
express that the road is way too rough. Not only that, but the correct path is
lost, and the GPS is out of order.
Great news: God does work best with those of us who
pull over, roll down the window, and ask for His directions. We hand him our
burdens, confusion and anxious thoughts. Then, He points the way. Ah, then the
“Tillie: of discouragement is silenced.
Sweet reassurance filters through, the signs become
clear, and the path is direct. Should we be tempted to give up or give in to
weakness, the message repeats over and over again:” He does indeed, give
strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Janet Perez Eckles jeckles@cfl.rr.com http://www.janetperezeckles.com/
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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