Driving west on I-80 in Iowa, we followed another car for about half an hour before we both exited for the rest stop. Gesturing at road signs, the passengers shot looks at each other several times, but I thought nothing of it. After using the facilities, my wife and I observed the foursome huddled around the map with bold red “you are here” arrow, arguing among themselves. The driver stopped me to ask for directions, explaining they’d come from Davenport and were on their way to Peoria, where in less than an hour, the girl was scheduled to open an important social event as pageant Queen. “Oh my”, I replied; “Peoria is about 3 hours back that-a-way”.

So how does a driver miss the mile markers posted every mile or the large green and white traffic signs that count down the miles to the next city or interchange? You’d think that first sign “Iowa City 40 miles” would have told the driver they were headed in the wrong direction. Surely “Iowa City 30 miles” would have had the driver looking for the nearest exit or prompted the passenger in the front seat to dig through the glove-box for a map. Even if completely oblivious to all the road signs, it was early evening and we were driving into the sun. Last I checked, it still sets in the west and Peoria was to the east. Not pulling off the road until the DOT rest stop after Iowa City? No way.

Sadly, that’s what happened.

Lord knows I’m not immune to getting lost and refusing to ask for directions. After all, I’m a man, and that’s genetic. Or so my wife tells me. I’ll never forget the time my band took 2 vehicles to a concert when after a potty stop, I took the wrong freeway on-ramp and was driving back toward home, unawares. That is, until I spotted my band mates across the median driving in the opposite direction and pointing at me to turn around. Even now, 40 years later, that same interchange confuses me. At least now I have a GPS to get me pointed in the right direction!

So why is it so difficult for a man to stop and ask for directions? Even one who knows he’s lost? And what makes us think that doing the same thing everyone else is doing is the right way, or more importantly, that’s what God wants from us?

This time of year, Christmas-time, always brings up a torrent of thoughts and emotions for me from which countless mind-boggling questions emerge. None are more difficult for me to answer than this one:

How is it the Bible can so clearly and consistently declare the will of God for men, which is to take up the cross and follow Jesus, but instead, we “celebrate Jesus” via weekly religious services and annual celebrations of “Christmas” and “Easter”?

Admittedly, I never gave that much thought when I was a church goer until the time I asked to celebrate my birthday the way I wanted and was told by my sister-in-law “no, we will celebrate your birthday the way we want, and you’ll like it”.

Blind. Born blind. All of us. And stubborn. “Brute beasts” wrote Asaph in the Psalms. “Stiff-necked” – that’s what the prophet said. That’s the only answer I could come up with anyway. The Father has told us what He wants from us, but we do our own thing and expect Him to be satisfied with it. “No God, we’ll celebrate Your Son the way we want, and You’ll like it”. Oddly, the Father’s response is about the same as mine was: “Well then, have a good time” I replied and left them to party without me.

We’ll all have to give an account for our actions some day.

How many mile markers and road signs have we sped past, oblivious to their warning? Do we ever stop and look to the Spirit and the Word to assess the direction we’re going? Or do we just keep driving in what so clearly is the wrong direction?

While there are many enjoyable sights and sounds at Christmas-time, I am nonetheless grieved by the blind ignorance of men which is never more evident than during our rote holiday celebrations.

Isn’t it time to admit “We’re lost”? And to stop and ask Him for directions?

Would we be so lost IF before we set out on a mission, we got His direction first, and went no further or faster than His leading? Imagine if the Israelites had tried to out-run the cloud? Or began diving into the sea before God parted it? It is in waiting that we find God has a better way – a higher thought and purpose. But! If we hit the road as if we’re the driver and God is the passenger – we get all kinds of lost.

I’d like to wrap up with a song called Bumper Sticker Witness. It’s a slightly embellished story from my youth and the tendency to speed out ahead of God. A costly lesson with a song to remind me not to be a jerk. Enjoy.