God Positioning System or GPS

 25.1514"N, 111° 41' 39.1554"W

36.50277, -111.85757

These are no ordinary groups of numbers.  These are not answers to some odd mathematical word problem.  These are some of the most precious numbers in my life right now.  With technology these days it's easy to follow precious cargo down the chilly waters of the Colorado as it snakes its way through the Grandness of the mighty Canyon.  As these are updated every few days I get a glimpse into the life of my 20 y.o. as he is on the trip of a lifetime.  Of course, he may do this again in his lifetime, but this is the first trip, the unknown of the cliff walls and blue-green waters still a mystery every day for him.  The world stops, and, of course, the suspenseful game of Clue, when these numbers come across my email.  I must rush to my computer and plug them into Google Earth and see where they are.  So, they are here:

And one of the most amazing things about this is that David and I can zoom in, pan up, travel up the river where they've come from, travel down the river where they'll head to next, see the upcoming rapids in their future and look at the ones they already passed through.  It's an interesting perspective to be able to sort of see where Adam will be tomorrow before he gets there.  I wonder if he will "get" what God has going on in his life right now?  I wonder if he will appreciate the awe inspiring handiwork that God laid out long ago for him to appreciate now?  I pray that God reveals himself in such a way this trip that Adam is forever changed!

This parallel of coordinates for him and God's coordinates for not only his life, but mine, is something I can't seem to get off of my mind.  I believe God feels the same way about me, about us.  He can see where we've been, knows where we are and knows where we're headed.  He knows the rapids and struggles we've already experienced that have made an impact, or hopefully made one, in order for us to learn from our mistakes and do it differently next time.  He knows there are struggles ahead and rapids to maneuver.  He doesn't keep the water calm.  How boring that would be.  He allows us to willingly put ourselves in our own boats down the rocky crevasses of our lives and paddle through those rough waters.  But knowing that all we have to do is look up to know that He is right there with us.  It's in the beauty around us.  It's in the fact that we actually made it through.  It's in the journey laid out ahead of us years and years before we were even born.  He knows.  God Positioning System.  What are your coordinates?  Where are  you headed?  Have you forgotten where you've been?  Have you learned from those past struggles yet in order to do it differently next time?  There will be a next time.  But just look up.  He created that view for me and you.  He is in constant conversation with us.  He loves us dearly.  He wants us to recognize Him in our lives.  What does your satellite image reveal?

Romans 5:1-5

 ¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.