Trusting the Camera

A few weeks ago, Deb and I were in Florida to visit her mom and for me to play in a baseball tournament (for those of us who can't give up the game). We rented a car and this one had a backup camera; like most cars these days it is standard equipment. Since I don't have a backup camera, my routine is to twist my back completely around and look behind me while backing up. Sometimes on occasion I will use my side mirrors to help navigate me while backing up, but that is rare.

Even with the backup camera in the rental car, I routinely would still twist my body around. Initially that was because I didn't realize the camera was there quite yet. But later in the week, I did realize that the camera was there but I hadn't learned to trust it completely yet. Kind of like when my dad asked me "does that lady really know where you are going?" referring to the GPS. The camera was proven technology (or at least I think it was), but I still relied on my imperfect vision with its accompany blind spots to look behind me. The camera could see easily what I could not, but I could not trust it.

Spiritually, I have a heavenly Father that knows me intimately and has perfect vision to see my life in its panorama and its complete perspective. He is proven technology that is reliable. Yet my first inclination is to; a) not trust it, and b) trust myself more. I have many blind spots that God knows and sees and he can see perfectly clear if I am about to backup over something. The backup camera might provide an audible warning if danger is approaching. God provides the Holy Spirit who provides these little "consciousness pricks" that distinctly warn me that I am approaching problem areas.

I have to be careful that I don't run roughshod ahead and do things anyway. Most of us pray that God will bless our efforts but that is completely wrong. I pray that God will articulate the path He wants me to go and that I will not go down the path that He doesn't want me to go. I have many times in my life ignored the warnings and gone anyway.

"Lord close the door to false paths and illuminate the path you want me to go. Help me to trust you as the perfect backup camera to my life and not my own ways."