Jaffa, Israel

It was our first full day in Israel, and Delores Topliff and I had driven from Jaffa to Tel Aviv to pick up another rental car. That way we would have four people in each car as we toured Israel.

For some reason I had picked up a touch of laryngitis on the flight from the US to Israel. When we left the hostel my voice was raspy, but I could talk. By the time we picked up the car, I was down to a squeak. Which shouldn’t be a problem since we had GPS to direct us back to the hostel.

Except somehow our GPS had gotten stuck in Hebrew. Not only was the map in Hebrew, the voice was as well. The only thing we had that I recognized at all were the arrows pointing which way to turn. We had no idea where we were going…and I because I had no voice, I couldn’t tell Delores, who was driving, which way the arrows showed to turn.

So…I held the phone up and showed her the map in heavy traffic…just as a police cruiser pulled beside us. Even after Delores tried to explain why she was looking at the phone, the officer still dressed us down, asking if we “texted back home in England?” (evidently he thought we were from England). She replied no, and that we wouldn’t do it again.

Thankfully he didn’t haul us to the local police station and instead let us off with a warning, and with prayer, we actually did make it back without getting lost again or a getting a ticket.

Looking back, this reminds me of Thomas in John 14. Here’s how the Message (MSG) puts it: Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

 Thomas tells him, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

This was Jesus’ answer: “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

As long as we’re connected to the Son, we’ll never be lost.