I stepped up to the counter to check in for my flight home. I handed the attractive Chinese woman at the airport my flight information and my passport. She busily typed on the computer keyboard and then stood up to speak to me. Her forehead creased as she tried to find the correct English words to explain something to me. But she stopped and started and I didn’t understand.
I began to worry. Was there something wrong with the plane? Was the flight cancelled?
Thankfully, my Mandarin-speaking son-in-law stepped up beside me. The airport worker apparently asked Nate if he understood Chinese, he nodded yes and the relieved-looking woman went on to explain the problem to Nate.
Nate then interpreted to us that we had arrived at the airport a little too early and the computer system would not let us check our bags yet. We had to wait 10 minutes.
What a relief! The problem was really a non-problem. All we had to do was wait. But if we had not had Nate for a guide we would not have known that.
In a land like China where the typical American cannot speak the language or even read the signs, it is critical to have a guide.
When we toured Beijing last year, we hired a guide. That’s me with Ken above. (And yes, he is unusually tall for a Chinese man.) Ken expertly guided us to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace. He helped us buy the needed tickets, told us where to go, and explained the historical significance of the sights we were seeing. Maybe even more important, he also helped us order food in restaurants and showed us where the 4-star potties were (those with Western toilets). Without Ken, we would have been lost in this beautiful but foreign land.
My experiences in China came to mind the other day when I read Psalm 48:14:
For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
Just as my husband and I needed a guide to steer us through the foreign maze of Chinese culture, I need God to guide me through the twisting and turning path of life on earth.
This world is not my home and it is so easy for me to get side-tracked or take the wrong path. Life is confusing. I need Someone to say, “This is the way. Follow me.” I need direction. I need guidance.
Thankfully God promises to be my guide to the end. He is always there to hold my hand. Even when I sometimes let go and wander off, He is there to pull me back on the right path. He is my God and guide for ever and ever.
And sometimes when my problems are puzzling, God tells me all I really have to do is wait 10 minutes (or the equivalent in eternity’s time zone).
All I need is to pause while He fixes the problem.
All I have to do is stay close to Him while He takes care of everything.
Next step: Think back to when you appreciated the expertise of a guide. Thank God for being your guide through this crazy world of ours.