Turns in the Road

We have a GPS. It is a strange instrument. I do not have any idea how it works and I am convinced it has a mind of its own. Most of the time, it is a wonderful invention but sometimes it leads me to places I do not want to go. A couple of weeks ago I was in East Atlanta and needed to go to Dawsonville, GA so I punched in my destination. I followed the sweet voice of the lady in the box. She had me turn one way then another. Soon my internal GPS was in unfamiliar surroundings with no idea where I was. As she directed me to take one more turn, I ran right into a gate…of a gated community. I was no where near Dawsonville! It took a stop at CVS and a kindly man to get me on the right track.

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Following God can indeed take us places where we didn’t think we were going. Sometimes I think He is simply asking us to trust even when we end up in a place which was not our planed destination. And that happened to us often as we followed “THE LEADER” while producing The Amazing Collection.

One such time was in the summer of 2003. I had gotten the name of Katherine Helmers, a literary agent in Colorado Springs, from wonderful Nancy Guthrie when I had attended the CBA convention in Orlando Florida. I was sure she would be able to help us find a publishing company who would take on our study. However, after a brief conversation she declined saying she was working with Philip Yancey on his newest book and didn’t have the time for anything else. I was disappointed but then she recommended John Eames, another literary agent, who was spending the summer in Colorado.

Shortly after our conversation I received a call from him! He was excited about the project and wanted to know if he could be of some assistance to us. It seems he was in Colorado Springs that day having lunch with a friend when Katherine walked in and proceeded to tell him about us!

I was elated! Even more exciting was that I was on my way to Colorado for a wedding so we made arrangements to meet that Friday on August 15, 2003. On Wednesday I sent him a couple of videos then left for Colorado. On Thursday I talked to him again eagerly looking forward to “God’s appointment” on the following day. Friday morning I got a message on my cell phone that he had to cancel. To say the least, I was devastated. We did not talk again for several months.

In November I got a call from John and we agreed to meet together on December 3, 2003. He was coming to town and just thought it would be a good idea if we could get together. I agreed and so we met. I was so pleased to find him to be a most friendly, warm and delightful man. Thus began a wonderful relationship that continues to this day. Little did I know then how mightily God would use him in many different ways as we traversed the muddy waters of contracts, ministry legalities, business decisions and other times we needed a wise counselor. He was and is a God-send. …not as we thought…but even better.

Isaiah 30: 20-21

He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself , but your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you,, “This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or to the left.