It may be different where you are, but if you drive a vehicle in Johannesburg, there are recurring opportunities to test your driving skills as you maneuver around a growing number of potholes.
This is of course fine if you travel the same route every day. On my daily drive to the office, there are two main potholes which, if you go into them, you will lose your front bumper at least and need a group of willing folk to pull you out. The challenge is the new potholes, the rain filled potholes, the expanding potholes, and traffic that does not always permit you to brake or quickly change lanes to stay safe.
I am not always thrilled to receive instructions from the lady who used to reside in my old Garmin and now resides in my car through the Waze navigation system. “Suzy”, as I have always called her, can be extremely irritating as she tells you stuff you already know or do not want to know: You’re in the wrong lane. There’s traffic ahead. In 200 m you must turn. But because of the ever changing life of Johannesburg’s potholes, I have resigned myself to leaving the notifications and sound switched on, and almost every day Suzy warns me, “Pothole reported ahead.”
I assure you, especially during Women’s Month, ignoring “Suzy”, or trying to turn her down or off, is not a wise choice but simple foolishness that you do at your own peril. It could even be life threatening.
I sat at the hospital bed of a young lady this week and listened gratefully to the machines steadily beeping alongside her. I wondered about my response to the different sounds. Both were making a noise that was aimed at helping, guiding, even saving a life. “Suzy”, my incredibly well informed guide, was only valuable if she was switched on and listened to. The machines were lifesaving if attention was paid to the calming rhythm of a heartbeat.
We are all facing potholes of one kind or another, and some may take a long time to repair or remove as a threat. Yet there is a simple reminder for you and me today: there is One who sees the road ahead, who cares about the journey we are on, and who continues to guide us, whispering alongside your heartbeat.
Psalm 32:8 reminds us: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” And Proverbs 3:5 to 6 (MSG) encourages us: “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
Be careful out there and listen. Stay tuned to His voice and accept His message. We all need some support in these days.