Have you ever tried to get lost somewhere? Like just go driving to clear your head and take in the scenery? Well, I tried to do that today and realized that I could only be lost for so long. In the small town of Abilene, Texas you could only be “lost” for about five minutes; and even then you aren’t really lost just turned around.
This town is so small. Like everyone knows each other’s family history small. Well, I don’t know if that’s true, but that’s what it feels like. You could drive through the entirety of Abilene in probably 20 – 30 minutes, and if you’re a fast driver 15.
Even though I have lived here for four years – for college – I still had yet to explore the little town. I knew how to get to different places, but I had never just looked at how the regular inhabitants lived. So, today, I decided to do just that.
I drove around at a cruising speed of 30mph turning down streets I had never seen or been down before. I was enjoying being lost and slightly bewildered. It was exciting to know that I had never seen the buildings that were along these “hidden” streets. Then it ended.
I turned down a street that at first glance seemed like it never ended, my excitement was rising. I saw cowboy restaurants, liquor stores, a humongous park, and cute (albeit run down) houses. As I moved at a snails pace to fully take in all my surroundings I looked to my left and saw a familiar apartment complex. My adventure was over.
I saw the cross street I was approaching, and I realized that this was the same street my apartment was on. I was only lost for five minutes it felt like! I wanted to go back to seeing new things and experiencing a different side of this town.
As I regretfully headed home I thought of God and my relationship with Him. I’m not as close to Him as I used to be, and I don’t know why. Sometimes I have high moments of closeness and togetherness with Him, then other times I feel as though I am insignificant in his overall scheme of the world.
Currently, I felt lost from God, and I was slightly okay with that. I realized that I, like most people, enjoy being lost in sin and away from Him. I know that this is wrong and that we should want to feel close with God all the time, but that’s not always how I feel. Call me lazy, but being close to God requires continuous effort and being lost is so easy.
The easiness of it is what entices me, slowly cruising through life not having a care in the world. But, much like this small town, eventually you will end up on a road that you recognize and know that you must turn down the familiar path.
Personally, I believe that God wants us to get lost in the world and what it has to offer, because then we can truly appreciate the love and relationship that He has for us. If I never became lost, then how would I know what God was protecting me from? I think being lost multiple times (before you’re saved, after you’re saved, and during your salvation) helps you along the journey of finding yourself in Christ.
Not Another Spiritual Blog 