Staying on Track

     “Does your package contain anything liquid, fragile, perishable, or potentially hazardous?” As I contemplated this question carefully, I was momentarily distracted by a woman mailing her package at the next register. There was an obvious problem and finally she asked exasperatedly “where am I? “ I wanted to see what kind of woman would be in such a state of confusion as not to know where she was. As I signed off on my own parcel, I sneaked a glance to my left. By all appearances, the flustered woman was much younger than I and quite a bit more put together. Turns out she was trying to do a UPS transaction at a USPS office. I commented as she quickly fled the scene that I sometimes have to ask myself that same question. Where am I? The postal clerk smiled and replied, “Honey, we’ve all been there.”
     Let’s face it. It’s hard to stay on track and sometimes the busy train (especially around the holidays) can derail us.
     My husband and I hadn’t been to Kings Island amusement park in years, so we truly appreciated his company picnic held there in October. We opted out of the roller coasters but figured the antique cars would be more of our speed. As each car pulled up, we watched the little kids get behind the wheel and promptly drive away thinking they were in control, and some degree they were. The steering wheel actually turned the axles and the gas did accelerate, but both were limited for safety. If you veered too far to the right or left, you were kept on track by a steel guide rail in the middle of the road. If we only had something like that in real life to keep us on track! Turns out we do – the Bible contains words to guide us. And when we accept Jesus as our savior, we gain the Holy Spirit’s help. Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way, walk ye in it. When you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Sounds like the perfect guide rail to me.
     Back at the antique car ride I recognized apprehension mixed with the joy on the kid’s faces as they climbed behind the wheel. (As an adult I know it well but the car is now the next big project.) Growing up on a farm, we girls begin driving trucks and tractors and at the age of eight particularly due to necessity and because mom and dad knew the more experience we got in the safety of the hayfield the better we‘d drive once we graduated to the main road. Muscle memory of sorts and an awareness of our surroundings and our placement —where we are.
    Imagine if while we are trying to stay on track, we were actually tracked like a mailed package. We trace the paths of birds, wolves, black bears and I even have a phone app that tracks sharks so I can entertain kids at the beach. There are also optional trackers on our phones to tell loved ones where we are for safety reasons. If I consider a map of all the places I was this past year, what would it look like? I’m guessing it could have been improved had I listened better the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
     So as the holiday frenzy of sending cards, shopping, baking, crafting, or traveling tries to derail us, let’s make sure we end up at the right place—respectfully in front of a manger with Jesus. Because honestly life is fragile, perishable, and potentially hazardous…and it’s important to know where we are. Mom knows best and she has always warned us about distractions telling us girls (ok, mostly me) “Keep your mind on your business”. In other words, stay on track.
 

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