My friend settled in the driver’s seat. “Ready?”

“Sure am.” Seated in the passenger’s seat, I buckled my seat belt. “Good thing we have that GPS to guide us, huh?”

Her new luxurious car promised to make our two-hour trip a true delight. All those gadgets that resemble a spaceship fascinated me.

But the fun came to a halt when we hopped on the highway. The voice coming from the dashboard telling us which turns to make went funky. As we passed each exit, she announced, “Next exit, make right.”

We knew the route, and that wasn’t the way to go.

My friend tried to change the commands, turn off the voice, and lower the volume, but nothing worked.

“Next exit, make right.” Her voice came on every time we approached an exit.

After about 45 minutes of this, exasperated, my friend smacked the dash. “Shut up, Tillie.”

You and I have our own “Tillies”. We do. As we’re riding down the highway of peace and contentment, Tillie speaks out lies over and over again: “You’re not going to make it through this episode, you’ll never lose that weight, the husband you want doesn’t exist, this illness will do you in, and you’ll never find the right job. You’re getting older and life is passing you by.”

Sigh. How annoying, even disturbing at times. That’s because Tillie is wired to detour us, leading us to the ditches of anxiety and right into the woods of worry.

While her nagging voice echoes, we fight road rage and move forward on the highway of life. With every turn, we grow ever so tired, weary and weak.

But dear friend, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:28-29)

How about you? This writer, looking for a little understanding, decided to admit weakness, recognize fatigue and with candor, express that the road is way too rough. Not only that, but the correct path is lost, and the GPS is out of order.

Great news: God does work best with those of us who pull over, roll down the window, and ask for His directions. We hand him our burdens, confusion and anxious thoughts. Then, He points the way. Ah, then the “Tillie: of discouragement is silenced.

Sweet reassurance filters through, the signs become clear, and the path is direct. Should we be tempted to give up or give in to weakness, the message repeats over and over again:” He does indeed, give strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Janet Perez Eckles jeckles@cfl.rr.com http://www.janetperezeckles.com/