Chrissie Prichard, Member since 2007 and Outreach Committee Member

Psalm 32:8-9
“I will instruct you and teach you about the direction you should go. I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you. Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement can be controlled with a bit and a bridle. Don’t be anything like that!”

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.”

Reflection:
“How much for the guided tour?” If you’ve ever traveled with me, you have heard me ask this question. I love traveling. I love hiking. I love visiting museums. And each and every time I want the guided option. I am not sure what I like better, the security in knowing that someone else is responsible for ensuring I get from Point A to Point B, or the knowledge gained from listening to the guide tell me all about the place I am visiting. It does not matter if it is an in-person guide or one of those cassettes you hang around your neck. Guides almost always make the experience more enjoyable and fulfilling!

Perhaps this is why, in my Christian faith, I have always been reassured in knowing that my God is my guide. Not unlike in my travels, I am constantly seeking guidance, and I am grateful for a God who is keeping an eye on me, a God who knows the path I’m taking and keeps me straight.

But it’s not always easy. I often wish God would stand directly in front of me and point me in the right direction or speak to me through a cassette tape hanging around my neck. That’s why, like most of us, I’ve felt lost and cried out to God in frustration, flipping my Bible to random pages hoping he will speak to me.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “Deep visceral knowing and prayerful surrender have guided all of the major turning points of my life, including my mission to end apartheid.” Needless to say, I think the Archbishop’s method of seeking God’s guidance might be more useful than a game of Bible verse roulette. Deep visceral knowing comes from trusting in the Lord with all my heart, putting my faith in God. And prayerful surrender is relying on God, surrendering to God rather than trying to figure it out myself.

This life can be hard, but can you imagine how much harder it would be without the guided tour? No matter how hard, no matter how unprecedented, for big decisions or small, my God and my guide will see me through. He might not speak to me through a cassette player, but I know God speaks in moments where I give God my trust. And God’s guidance will no doubt make the experience more joyful and more fulfilling.

Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, these last few months have been confusing and hard. We need your guidance, and we thank you for being ready and willing to be our tour guide. Thank you for loving us enough to keep an eye on us and for helping us stay on the path you have set for us. We prayerfully surrender to you and seek your guidance today, for daily decisions and for life’s major turning points. Amen.