“He was there before any of it came into existence and He holds it all together.” (Colossians 1:17 MSG)
“I look behind me and You’re there, then up ahead and You’re there, too – Your reassuring presence coming an going. This is too much, too wonderful – I can’t take it all in.” (Psalm 139:5-6 MSG)
Can I tell you a strange truth?
I love going new places but I hate the feeling of not having been there before.
What do I mean by that?
I love trying new restaurants. I like to read the reviews online and go on a culinary adventures. But I don’t like walking in an not knowing the culture: do we stand in line or sit down? What’s on the menu and what’s good? How big are the portions? Where’s the silverware? Do we wait for our food at the counter or do they bring it to us? It doesn’t help that the wait staff has literally served hundreds, if not thousands before and therefore has very little patience left for a newbie like me. (If you are familiar with the classic Seinfield Soup Nazi episode, you’ll realize my new restaurant anxiety is understandable.)
This discomfort with new places isn’t limited to eating establishments. I long to see the world: London, Venice, Rome, New York City, Seattle, Amsterdam, Australia and Africa. I want to experience it all, but my fear of the unknown holds me back from buying a ticket.
Let me give you a good for instance. Five years ago, Rob and I had set our hearts on Portugal. We had friends there and Pinterest had painted a pretty amazing picture of what we might find in the hidden European gem. We had found some very affordable flights that happened to go through Turkey with a fifteen hour layover in Istanbul. The adventurous side of me was eager to add a new country to my passport and a culture to my palette of experience. The hesitant side of me, though, was deeply concerned about navigating a foreign country successfully with a fifteen hour time constraint. Especially a country whose language utilizes different characters. (For some reason countries whose alphabet characters are the same as America seem so much less terrifying for reading maps and transportation signage.)
I was at an impasse. I wanted to burn the ships and buy the tickets but Turkey intimidated me. Until our host told us that he would be taking our exact flight route in a few weeks. He would go before us and let us know how difficult or simple the visa process was, what the hotel was like and even if it was reasonable to taxi to the Grand Bazaar. He did all those things and gave a full report: it was fairly straightforward and we’d manage just fine. We booked our flight and now we have memories of Istanbul tucked away in our hearts, and a precious week in Portugal that we’ll never misplace. All because someone was willing to go before us.
My dear reader, Christ always goes before us. In all things. He’s created them, sustaining them, and with us in the midst of them. He’s leading the way. We can rest easy in His superior scouting skills: there are no surprises on the map or in the agenda when we travel with Him.
What I’ve learned is that I can go just about anywhere with a guide. Even just the insight of someone who has gone that way before helps alleviate my fears and whet my appetite for adventure.
With Rick Steve’s savvy, my mom and sister and I navigate the streets and sights of Paris, even the ultra creepy catacombs. In Chicago, Google mapped our steps and aligned our bus and train connections. In Orlando, the GPS shouted orders. In Mexico, our missionaries translated and transported. In Portugal, our host family had assembled a handy guidebook. In Israel, we relied heavily on Raid, our ever-informative resident-teacher, patiently fielding our many, many questions. And this year, my daughter and I will board a series of planes to meet a long time friend and missionary in Thailand.
We can go anywhere when we have a guide. And friends, we have Jesus, the Author and Perfecter, the Creator-Sustainer. Additionally, we have the Holy Spirit, living and breathing inside our very frames. The world is our oyster. We need not be afraid because He goes before us, behind us and within us.
“God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 MSG)
Lord, thank You for going before us. In doing so, You have effectively removed the fear from our adventure. Help us remember that the next time You call us somewhere new; that You’ve already prepared the way and You’ll be with us there, also. May we fin great comfort and greater courage in Your omnipresence. Amen.