Follow me

      
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. Proverbs 3:5–6 (The Message)
      
      
The glitch resolved, the fifth wheel hitch was now installed on our truck. It was time to hook up. And guess who got to back the new truck up to the camper? This city born-and-bred gal who can’t even back up a lawn tractor with a cart.
      
“You’ll be fine,” my husband assured me. “Just watch me.”
      
While I backed up, he’d point in the direction I was to turn the steering wheel, indicate with hand signals for me to keep backing up, stop, or go forward. I was to keep my eyes on him at all times.
      
Of course I didn’t. I’m a woman.
      
I was okay at first. Dean stood in front of the camper, next to the pin, motioning me back. But I discovered a neat trick using the rearview camera. A view of what was behind me appeared in the rearview mirror, with black dotted lines right smack dab in the middle, like the passing lines on a road. If I lined those up with the pin, I could back straight up to it. Who needed hand signals?
      
I was doing just dandy until I got close to the camper. Then the reverse sensing system’s warning alarm kicked in. The annoyingly loud beep-beep-beep increasing in frequency the closer the truck got to the camper didn’t do a thing to calm my nerves. After a few back-up-and-try-again’s, I shut the thing off.
      
“You’re doing fine,” Dean said. “Just watch me.”
      
Of course I didn’t. I’m a woman.
      
I’d rather watch where I was going in the side mirrors and figure out how to turn the steering wheel myself. Call me Mrs. Independent, Women’s Lib resurrected.
       
“Watch me!” Dean said after the umpteenth time.
      
So I watched him, fighting the urge to peek at the mirrors. Eventually the pin and hitch met. Hallelujah!
      
Round two was the next evening. This time I shut off the backup warning alarm at the outset. And I kept my eyes on Dean.  
      
He pointed. I turned the wheel. But not sharply enough.
      
“You need to point faster,” I said, putting the truck in forward for still another try. This was worse than the first time.
      
“I can do this,” I told myself, banishing the vision of me crashing the truck into the camper.
      
We finally got our signals straight. I never knew the sound of the pin locking onto the hitch would be so sweet.
      
Following God’s directions can be just as difficult—more so, because I can’t see Him. But He knows where He wants me to go, and if I just keep my eyes on Him, I’ll get there.
      
But how do I keep my eyes on Him if I can’t see Him?
      
By staying in contact with Him through prayer and Bible reading, not allowing anything to distract me, and not rushing ahead of Him, but waiting on His signal.

How sweet the sound when I’m finally connected!
      
      
Help me to keep my eyes on You, O Lord, and the wisdom to follow Your signals. Amen.

Special-Tea: Read Exodus13:21–22