If God Gets Lost, Don't Give Him Directions

God said he hated to give people directions, it was important that each person found their own way in life. He did finally brake down and show the Israelites the promise land, but only as a last resort. He said that they would have been in that desert for another forty years if he didn’t personally lay down a yellow brick road for them and he probably would have been blamed for that too.

Even to this day God says that he gets blamed because people can not find their own way in life. How could there be free will if God kept telling everyone where to go and what to do?

“People are strange,” God told me one night as I worked on math problems in the kitchen. I sat at the center island whch had a large, butcher block top that hung over the edge created a large table. In the evening, I liked to sit in there while working on my homework. Mainly because it was quiet, but also because it was more open than my bedroom.

God stood near the sink pealing an apple. I tried to ignore him but he demanded my audience. “People say that they want freedom but deep down in the depths of their souls they really don’t. Because freedom means risk. It means chance and it means sometimes doing the right thing and sometimes doing the wrong thing. With freedom one must make a decision. One must make a commitment” God said he doesn’t care what decision a person makes as long as they act with grace in their heart.

“Sure, I could tell them, ‘well, it’s your choice but personally I would go this way.’ But who would have freedom then?” God’s eyebrows rose up high on his forehead and I had to stop factoring to pay him attention. I smiled to let him know I understood. God took a bite from the apple. “Yeah sure, people are going to think, ‘Well God would go that way but I think I’m going this way because God doesn’t know what he’s talking about.’ Then when it didn’t work out others would say, ‘you should have listened to God.’”

“Mary,” God said while he threw the apple core into the trash and walked on to the family room, “never take directions from anyone. You must be your own person.” I followed him down into the room. “You can take suggestions, but ultimately you must choose for yourself what course you will travel. You must be responsible for the path your heart leads you.”

“God, why didn’t you give people any suggestions?” I asked.

“I did,” he replied. “I spelled them out clearly in the N.T.. Love your God with all your heart. And love your neighbor as yourself. I can’t think of any better suggestion as to how to live a healthy life. Other than maybe, just love.”

I asked God why he talked to some people like Noah, Moses and Oral Roberts but then didn’t talk to others. God said simply that people were often mistaken. Individuals often interpret situations the way they want to. So when God said he supported Moses leaving Egypt, he didn’t mean it to be taken as an offense to the Egyptians. But Moses went and thought so anyway. Now he had to admit that the plagues and Angel of Death did seem a little one sided. But God was always for the underdog.

God sat me on his lap and looked deep into my eyes. “Mary there are two things that I want you to understand. And these are very important.”

I nodded my head to let him know that I was listening.

“First. This can be a wonderful world and it can be a very rough world. It is full of overwhelming joys at times and unbearable sorrow at others. It is important that you realize that your life, your very destiny, always remains under your control. It is in your perception. You have the power to make something great of your life if that is what you want. This doesn’t matter if you live on this planet for two weeks or ninety years. Whether you live in a mansion or a trailer park you can have a profound contribution to the universe, but only if you believe in your self. Others can give you help, but they can not give you directions. The direction must come from your heart. Do you understand?”

I told him yes but I knew that I would have to give it a lot more thought. I was still struggling to understand square roots.

“Now the second thing is as important as the first.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Are you listening closely?” God asked. “Because I want this to be perfectly clear.” God’s face showed the frustration of a deity who has so often been misinterpreted and misunderstood.

“Yes, I am listening closely,” I replied.

“Okay,” God looked at me with complete seriousness. “I never, ever, ever spoke to Oral Roberts.”