The Wrong Turn

We climbed into the van in a hurry, hoping to make it in time for the hour of worship at the Waterman Seventh-day Adventist Church.

It was Labor Day weekend, and we were in Loma Linda, California, United States of America, visiting family and hoping to meet some college friends at church.

Before we left, we were given directions to turn left on Wier Road and then continue until we reached Waterman Avenue, where the church is located.

As we drove on, Weir Road was nowhere to be seen. Somehow, we had taken a wrong turn. In the rush to leave, no one had listened carefully to the directions. Perhaps each of us thought the other was paying attention. Nevertheless, we kept driving, hoping we would eventually reach Waterman Avenue. After a few minutes of wandering (this was before the days of GPS devices), we called for directions to Waterman Avenue and the church.

Thankful for the convenience of cell phones, we eventually made it to the church, albeit fifteen minutes late! We are all traveling. Our destination is heaven.

Sometimes we take the wrong turn, but we still keep going, confident that somehow, we will eventually find the right avenue. Have we missed an important piece of information because we were not paying attention or depending on somebody else to listen to the instructions while we were preoccupied with trivial matters of this world? Taking the wrong turn has many consequences. We waste time and energy and become frustrated. Some may enjoy the fleeting pleasures on the way, but now is the time to turn back, for we cannot be late for our appointment with God. Have you taken the wrong turn in your life’s journey? Look for directions from a reliable GPS—the Bible—and the map to salvation. The psalmist writes in Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (KJV).

Use the “cell phone” of prayer and connect with the One who not only knows the way—He is the only Way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV).

Evelyn Porteza Tabingo