God and Technology

I bought an Italian street bike in April ostensibly for commuting, but also to experience the freedom I knew as a younger man riding a motorcycle in Belgium. I'll extole the virtues of the Aprilia motorcycle (a.k.a. "Ma Moto") in another post because the bike merits its own short article. The point of this story is how God speaks to me while I'm riding. No joke...well, maybe.

I have a GPS on the motorcycle in case I need directions to the nearest In-'n-Out Burger, or to explore routes on unfamiliar back country roads. For safety, the GPS communicates with speakers in my helmet using Bluetooth technolgy, just like a cell phone. The lack of wires is a huge bonus, and being able to keep my eyes on the road and traffic while listening to directions from the GPS is very safe and reliable. The GPS also plays MP3 files, so I can listen to music or downloaded Podcasts while I ride. The remarkable feature is that when the GPS needs to provide a direction, such as "In 500 feet, turn Left on Contra Costa Boulevard" it temporarily suspends the MP3 file, delivers the instruction and resumes the MP3 file.

So one Sunday I was riding to church and even though I know the way by heart, I put the destination in to see whether the GPS would recommend a different route. I was also listening to an MP3 file from Pray-as-you-go, a website which provides a daily inspirational recording including short scripture, music from all over the world, and thoughtful reflection. Visit  www.pray-as-you-go.org

 

I was enjoying the beautiful sunny morning heading to the 8am service along my normal route. As I neared the highway the MP3 file reached an important part of the scripture only to be interrupted by the GPS. This is what I heard:

"Jesus entered the temple, looked around and said....Take ramp on right, to Highway 24 West!"

I nearly drove off the road laughing inside my helmet! The timing could not have been more perfect.

Yes, God knew where I was at that instant, and He saw me safely to church and home again.