I spent all day with my friend down at the hospital yesterday. It was a full day of going from appointment, to appointment, to appointment, etc. … .
Neither my friend nor I were familiar with this hospital. It is a very complicated, confusing place. There are three primary buildings, with a maze of hallways, corridors, and skybridges connecting them here and there.
I knew it was going to be a full day of walking, which was going to take its toll on my friend. So I made a point to get down to the hospital extra early in order to snag a courtesy wheelchair, located in the entryway.
Both she and I were so grateful for the courtesy wheelchair! It was such a blessing!
As I wheeled my friend here and there all over that hospital, getting to the different places she needed to be for very important appointments … I couldn’t help but think how in life itself there are different places which God wants us to be: God wants us to be in a place of peace – but we don’t know how to get there. God wants us to be in a place of contentment – but we don’t know how to get there. God wants us to be in a place of joy – but we don’t know how to get there. God wants us to be in a place of rest – but we don’t know how to get there!
We find ourselves confused and “wandering the hallways” not quite sure where we are going in life.
Just like my friend needed to be in these important appointments which related to her upcoming surgery, so also God wants us, personally in our life, to be in an “appointment” for peace … because there is an upcoming event in our life that we will need that peace for!
God wants us to be in an “appointment” for rest … because God knows we need to be in that place of rest in order to learn important lessons he has to teach us.
God wants us to be in an “appointment” for contentment … because God has something important and significant to do in our life. And he can’t do his work if we aren’t in the correct place.
God wants us to be in a place of joy … because we need to be in that place for his plan for our life.
But as I stated before, when it comes to life and those places God wants us to be … we don’t know how to get there, any more than knowing how to navigate an unfamiliar hospital which is complicated and confusing.
And there is a timeline when it comes to navigating an unfamiliar hospital. We can’t be late for the appointments! These are very important appointments. And they are lined up back-to-back.
So also, in life, God has “life appointments” lined up for us back-to-back. Just about the time we get to the place of peace and have that consultation, it’s time to head off to the place of rest to learn the information we need to learn there.
We need a Helper!
We need a Helper to show us the way!
And just like my friend could not walk such great distances, we likewise need a Helper who will get a courtesy “life wheelchair” and who will take us there!
This is what the Holy Spirit does! The Holy Spirit is our Helper!
When we don’t know where to go in life or how to get there, the Holy Spirit is there for us with a “courtesy wheelchair” (so to speak), and the Holy Spirit will wheel us where we need to go.
The problem comes when we don’t trust the Holy Spirit. We don’t know where he is going to “wheel” us in that “courtesy wheelchair.” So we don’t want to surrender our own will and sit down in that “courtesy wheelchair.”
We would rather be in charge and be the one making the decisions about which way to go. Even if it’s the wrong way. Even if it means we keep wandering and getting lost … because at least we are in charge that way.
But when we don’t surrender and sit down in that “courtesy wheelchair” we wind up missing the appointments God has for us. We never do make it to that place of peace. We never do learn the lessons we so desperately needed from that place of rest. We never do make it to that place of contentment. And we never wind up making it to that place of joy.
We’re left wandering round and round “the hallways and corridors of life.”
Another problem comes when we don’t want to sit down in that “courtesy wheelchair” because we flat out don’t want to go where the Holy Spirit is planning on taking us.
I don’t want to go to that place of peace … because it means I have to leave right here where I’m at right now. And I’m really comfortable in this place of anxiety. So, No … I won’t sit down in that “courtesy wheelchair.”
I don’t want to go to that place of contentment … because I like griping about everything I don’t like in life. If the Holy Spirit takes me to that place of contentment, then I can’t gripe anymore. And I like griping and complaining.
I don’t want to go to that place of rest … I’m so used to being stressed out I just don’t think I can handle it if there wasn’t anything to stress and worry over!
I don’t want to go to that place of joy. I just don’t. I’m not going to sit down in that “courtesy wheelchair.” I’m not going to do it.
God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper … but the Holy Spirit can’t help us if we won’t sit down in the “courtesy wheelchair” and let him take us where we need to go.
God can’t accomplish the important work He wants to do in our life if we are stubbornly choosing to wander the “hallways and corridors” of life on our own, trying to find our own way.
The Holy Spirit is our Helper!
He will help us get where we need to go.
We just need to sit down in the “courtesy wheelchair” and let him take us.
Jesus said: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [Helper] to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. … The Counselor [Helper], the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things.” – John 14:16, 26
