Lost

Lost

It is quite often that I have to tell people that I am "Directionally Challenged".  That is the politically correct way of saying "I can't find my way out of a paper bag".

Just the other day, I was making a delivery to an office building.  I knew I had seen this office building literally hundreds of times as I was driving down the freeway.  This gave me a little bit of confidence, but I still left way earlier than I should have needed to because I know myself.   I did my due diligence, I printed out a Map Quest, I felt fairly certain I knew where I was headed.   So with a song in my heart and a light step I hopped in the car off to meet a new client.  As I was driving and reading the Map Quest it was easy to follow, however, something seemed just a little bit "off".  But I pressed on. 

Following the Map Quest led me to downtown Oxnard.  I drove up and down the main drag looking for the address of the building.  I couldn't find it nor could I see the freeway.  Something was terribly wrong.  I pulled over and reread the Map Quest.  Sigh!!!!!  I printed one Map Quest with the address I was looking for and had accidentally also printed one to downtown Oxnard.  You guessed it - I grabbed the wrong Map Quest.  Well, what went through my head at that moment was - they say men will not pull over to get directions, I am not a man, so I am pulling over.  I pulled into what looked like a fairly nice gas station and asked the attendant which way to Solar Drive.  He pointed and gave verbal instructions. I repeated what he said and pointed.  He nodded in the affirmative.  I thanked him kindly, smiled and got back in the car.  He had told me it would be about 2 lights down.  So I counted, 1 light, 2 lights, 3 lights (Maybe he was a little off, surely he couldn't be wrong.)  4 lights, 5 lights.  "Turn around go back, you must have missed it," I say to myself.  So I do.  Nope, not there.  "Turn around and go back again, maybe he forgot to say it's off one of the side streets," I think to myself.  So I do.  Still no Solar Drive.  Sigh! again!!!

I pull into a little strip mall and decide to go into Walgreens.  There is a nice looking man in front of Walgreens so I ask him if he knows where Solar Drive is.  He looks at me not so nicely and with a wave of his hands says, "I haven't a clue where anything is."  YIKES!  He must be lost too.  I thank him and go in the store.  When I ask the clerk if she knows where Solar Drive is, she doesn't but is at least compassionate and says, "Oh, I am sorry you are lost."  Yeah, me too!!  Luckily there is a customer that overhears my inquiry and she interjects, "Oh I know where Solar Drive is - you are on  the right road but should be heading the other direction." This lovely angel sounded confident and sure and I wanted to hug her.  But I didn't and instead just touched her shoulder and said, "Thank you very much, I am so grateful."  In my head I was thinking rather cynically 'And thank you very much Mr. Gas attendant.'  

So I hop back in the car.  Did I mention this was the day it was like 102 degrees.  By this time I am sweating, my hair has lost it's spring and I am praying that I do not see my new customer but rather can just leave her product and get the heck out of there.

I follow the directions my Walgreens angel gave me and think perhaps I may have misunderstood (again) it seemed like it was taking longer than it should have, but I press on (again).  FINALLY - pay dirt - Solar Drive.  I locate the building and see it a little late so turn quickly into the parking lot cutting off a little white Toyota - sorry lady I wave! and smile!   The smile makes all the difference, you know.  I think I was afraid if I kept going I might not be able to find the building again. 

Once in the building, I locate Suite 200.  At long last, I am where I am supposed to be.  I am now an hour and 45 minutes late, but I am here.  And my prayer is answered my client was out to lunch so I leave her product pick up my envelope and head back downstairs.

Thinking it may be a long ride home, I decide to make a pit stop first.  I have two choices - to the right or to the left to look for the bathrooms.  I choose left.  Ah - there's the mens.  Keep walking, keep walking, the womens has to be close - keep walking - no women's.  So I turn around and go back - (I am very good at this turning around and going back stuff.) I reach my starting point (always a good sign) and go right - keep walking, keep walking - Ah, finally - the womens.  When I come out I really have to think hard about which way to get back to my starting point, but as luck would have it the man who was sitting in the starting point is still there and he coughs, so I follow the sound.

As I am leaving the building I ask coughing man how to get to the freeway.  He points and gives verbal directions.  I point and repeat the directions.  He nods affirmation.  (Oh no, not again?!?!) 
God is so good!!!  I decide not to follow coughing man's directions and just go back the way I came and guess what - low and behold the sign saying which way to the freeway was right there.  A couple turns and a couple blocks and I am home free.

What should have been about a 20 minute drive each way turned into a 4 hour adventure.  A friend told me once there is a verse in the Bible that says something like "God takes care of the children and the idiots."  I haven't found it yet either.  But one thing I know whether the verse is there or not, God does take care of me.   When I am on my "adventures" - He is right there with me.  He may be smiling and shaking His head at His directionally challenged child, but He is there. And so I really don't get frightened or worried.  For once I was lost, but now I am found.