Sister Patti Tippetts
Primary Music Leader
Bro Tippetts and I have had many opportunities to travel to fun destinations. Much of the time we go places we've been before. But often we find ourselves discovering new places and adventures. In the old days when we went somewhere we had never been before, we had to purchase a map to find the locations we desired to visit. Once we decided what we would like to do, we had to sit down with our map and plan the best route to get there. Making sure we have a plan and the means to follow that plan is a skill that Bro Tippetts is good at. Sis Tippetts...not so much. I've relied on him many times to organize our trips and plan our fun.
As technology has unfolded new avenues in navigation, we have learned how to use GPS to find our destinations. We have discovered that Hawaii is the most difficult place to find our way. The names of the roads are unfamiliar and the streets are twisty and windy. But this new way of getting directions has made our planning and traveling so much easier. We just tell it where we want to go and it, in turn, tells us how to get there. It even helps us avoid traffic delays, construction zones, and accidents, AND can tell me where to get help should some unexpected issues arise! Sometimes I think I might know a better route than the one my GPS shows, but I don't usually know what it does about the road ahead. I am still learning to trust that it can see obstacles that I can not. Maps and GPS are terrific tools to help us get where we want to be.
Many years ago I had a friend who lived up north and I'd been to her house many times. I decided to go spend some time with her one weekend. I packed and loaded my two little girls and myself, and we headed out. I left late in the day, and by the time we neared her home it was late into the night, and dark. Somehow (probably not paying attention) I missed a vital exit. When I realized what I had done I decided I would just exit at the next opportunity and wind my way back through town to her house. Easy cheesy, right. I very quickly came to the next exit and proceeded back in the direction I was certain would kindly take me right to her front door. I knew that when I got off at the familiar exit I had to drive straight west for several miles. So, I did the same on this road, planning to head south at a friendly looking road. I drove west. And west. And more west. Eventually I found myself in a lot of nowhere. I was entirely lost. In my rear view mirror I could see the lights of the city were far behind me now and I would need to find a way to turn around. I grumbled to myself and things like, "How did I get way out here?" "I cant believe I'm so lost!" "Where on Earth am I?" "Nothing out here even looks familiar!" tumbled out of my mouth. Again I glanced at the rear view mirror, but saw something different this time. My two little girls were huddled close together, wide-eyed, and looking very frightened. I giggled a little and assured them we would be fine, I just needed to turn around and PAY ATTENTION this time. Sometimes we feel like we know a road well enough that we forget to pay attention, we might get careless on our way. and we may get off track, maybe take a wrong turn, and perhaps even get a little "lost".
Navigating life is much like navigating a trip. We need to first decide what our destination will be. We want to either buy a map or set our GPS for the Celestial Kingdom. Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us the map and tools to get ourselves to our destination. But just like driving along on a wonderful vacation, we may find trouble along the road of life. There may be delays, detours, damaged roads, flat tires, wrong turns, and likely even bad weather. In life we may experience temptation, heart ache, physical and emotional upset, and unexpected set-backs, among other things. But when we pay attention and follow the course set out by our loving Heavenly Father, we can avoid many of the difficulties that are along our path, and those we can not avoid, He can help us navigate more carefully.
Perhaps you can take a few minutes to think of ways you can pay attention and listen to Heavenly Father and Jesus as they help us through the tricky roads of life so that we can enjoy the journey the best way possible. Talk about these with your family. Maybe you can even plan a small trip, even if it is just a picnic to the park, and discuss how making plans for a trip can be like making plans for getting to heaven.
Love you all, and happy travels!
Here are some more songs you could practice:
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