When trying to get to a destination by car do you prefer using GPS or Road Signs?
I am a faithful, addicted, user, proponent, and stock-holder in the modern miracle of GPS!

I love it when satellites are triangulated for my purposes of finding the nearest Starbucks or In-N-Out burger joint! GPS, not Road Signs is all about me in the convenience of my own car while my XM radio blasts my favorite channel!

Last Friday night I flew from Las Vegas to New Orleans. I arrived at the brand new New Orleans airport around 1:30 am on Saturday morning. After retrieving my checked bag it was now closer to 2:00 am. Exhausted, I made my way to the new Rental Car Shuttle Bus pickup area with three other weary souls. We stood almost huddled together in the 47 degree temperature while the wind whipped around us. We just knew the Shuttle Bus would appear any moment. Other shuttle buses came and went. One of my freezing colleagues tried to stop one of the “Parking Lot” buses to inquire if the Rental Car Shuttle Bus was coming. The Parking Lot bus didn’t even slow down and blew right past him, prompting him to raise his middle finger high in the breezy air. The middle finger quickly retreated into a balled fist. I guess the middle finger was cold. 

Twenty minutes later the Rental Car Shuttle Bus arrived and we jumped on with great excitement as the bus was quite warm on the inside. The Bus Driver made his way to the back of the bus. We told him we were the last people in the whole airport. He insisted he had to wait for the next Rental Car Shuttle Bus to arrive before he could leave. Let’s just say “Middle Finger Waving” guy’s wife went ballistic and we were quickly on our way.

After an obnoxiously slow fifteen minute ride over to the Rental Car lot, I approached the Budget Rental Car counter at approximately 2:40 am only to discover, NO ONE WAS THERE!! Deep breaths, deep breaths! I proceeded upstairs to the parking deck where Budget has their cars and sure enough a lone lady listed from side to side in a small heated glass enclosed booth. I politely tapped the window. Startled, she smiled and told me they were out of cars… in the category I had chosen. 

Suffice to say, at 2:50 am I was on my way in a bright red Jeep Renegade with the driver’s seat sitting upright at a ninety-degree angle. I couldn’t figure out how to recline the seat!! I quickly put the address of the Hampton Inn in Mandeville, Louisiana into my GPS. A quick 40 minute drive across Lake Pontchartrain on the longest bridge in the United States and I would arrive at my much anticipated destination! 

My GPS was in full effect as I drove across the 24 mile long bridge knowing full well at any moment I was going to veer off the bridge into the frigid waters of Lake Pontchartrain to my untimely death by drowning in a bright red Jeep Renegade!

Once over the lake, I finally took a breath! The GPS told me I would arrive within ten minutes. 
The GPS told me to turn left on Fairway Drive. I did what my GPS told me. I always do! I am a faithful follower of my GPS…

The GPS told me in the Australian accent I have programmed I had arrived at my destination! I looked around from left to right, from back to front. I was in the middle of a neighborhood with no commercial building in sight! UGH!! No problem. I went to the Hampton Inn app on my phone. Re-plugged the address into the GPS and discovered I was now two miles away. Frustrated, I was on my way. 

Once again, “Dan” the Australian voice from my GPS told me I had arrived! I looked around from left to right, from back to front. I was in the middle of a field!

I had a major decision in front of me… Laugh, Cry, Scream or Cuss. Since I don’t know how to cuss, I chose Laughter! I drove back from whence I came and quickly pulled into a gas station parking lot. The man in the gas station building of middle eastern descent came out and stared at me. I figured if I didn’t look at him he would go away. Of course, at 3:35 in the morning, I was the only vehicle in a twelve mile radius with headlights on and music blaring. I re-plugged the address this time into Google maps. Voila! I was just half a mile away around the curve in the road of which I had stopped short. I looked up at the gas station attendant. He was still staring at me. I smiled. He didn’t. 

I arrived at the Hampton Inn around 3:40 in the morning with checked bag and backpack in hand. The young man, Gage said, “Hello! Welcome to the Hampton Inn! Name?”
I am pretty darn sure I was the last person to check in that night at the Hampton Inn. There was one paper reservation folded up on the counter. Guess whose it was? Mine!
I politely said, “Dendy.” 
Gage picked up the lone reservation, “David?”
Ummm…. I said, “No, Frederico!”
I wish I had taken a photo of his confused face.
No, Gage, I am just messing with you! Yes, I am David Dendy!

I inquired as to why Apple Maps can’t find the Hampton Inn. Gage said it happens all the time. Hmmmm…

On Thursday, the day before traveling to New Orleans, I had picked my room to stay in since the Hampton Inn app allows you to do such things. I had chosen room 312, on the third floor facing away from the freeway, mainly because I didn’t want anyone walking above me.
I noticed when I walked into the lobby it was quite apparent they were doing some renovations. Wallpaper, ladders, dust and dust pans were everywhere on the floor. 

Gage offered me my room key for room 312 and then said in his soft Louisiana, Cajun accent, “The elevator is not working due to the renovations! You’ll have to use the stairwell located at the end of the hall.” I laughed out loud! Of course the elevator is out! A perfect ending to an exhausting evening of travel!

The next morning I discovered I had forgotten to pack a number of toiletries.I found the nearest Walgreens on my GPS. For some reason the GPS worked. In order to get to Walgreens I had to backtrack from where I had driven the previous night.

After buying the necessary deodorant, shaving cream and hair gel I made my way back to the Hampton Inn. 

As I drove the most remarkable thing happened.

There was road sign after road sign showing the way to the Hampton Inn. 
Each road sign show the direction I needed to travel. 
Each road sign showed the mileage need to traverse to get to the Hampton Inn.
Each road sign showed the perfect way to find the Hampton Inn. 

When it came to GPS and Road Signs, the Road Signs were very reliable.
The GPS, not so much.  
Once again, I had a choice to make… I chose to Laugh!

When it comes to making our way through life, navigating the bridges, the turns, the curves, the highways, the byways, the freeways what “mapping” mechanism do you use?

I could not believe the road signs were screaming at me in the middle of the night on how to find my destination and yet, there I was with my head buried into the GPS which was sitting on the passenger seat and in doing so, I missed all the right turns and roads necessary for me to make it to my destination. 

God’s word, the Bible offers road sign after road sign on how to follow God and His will as we make our way through life in order to reach our final heavenly destination. 
Raise up our heads,
Raise up our hearts and search for and look and discover the road signs God has posted in His word for our travels.
Our journey will be much more enjoyable as we won’t get side tracked, off track and ultimately find ourselves in the middle of a barren field.

One thing I can guarantee…
Follow the road signs and when we come to the end of the road…
The elevator to heaven will be working!!

Grace and Peace, 
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans not to harm you but to prosper you, to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29: 11