The Blessing of Repentance

"Ya cain't git thar-a from here-a"

The two older men sat on the porch of the 'A' framed general store and 'fill up' station. It was like a scene out of Mayberry RFD only it was Asheville, North Carolina. My friend and I had been driving for nearly 20 hours, taking turns at napping and driving when we first realized that we were lost.

Well, that isn't really true. We had actually been on the road for 18 hours when we first realized we were lost.

Hmmm...my conscience is reminding me that it was my friend that realized that we were lost for two hours before I finally admitted it.

Okay, it was more like two and a half to three hours and it took me at least a half of an hour to admit it and relent to the rather strongly worded suggestion that we stop and ask for directions.

Turning into the morning shade of a quaint little general store, I approached the two seasoned citizens who had their gaze fixed on the new, but dusty, 1976 Toyota Corolla we were driving as we entered their domain.




I approached them with my now crumpled map. Both the map and myself must have appeared more weathered than these two 'wisened by the years' gentlemen. Their two sets of eyes peered out through thickened glasses briefly at me and then back at the dusty car. When I asked them how to get to our destination, they began to whisper between themselves.

As their conversation went on, with their heads alternately shaking negatively at each others recommendations, I regretted not asking directions to a bathroom first.

As their discussion continued, the smell of freshly brewing coffee added to the temptation to take my crumpled map inside and leave these men to their ruminations that were now taking on the appearance of a heated political argument rather than a attempt to aide a couple of weary, wandering lost souls.

Just as I decided to make my move, one of them asked, "Wear-a wazzit yer wantin t'go?"

I repeated my question with a little tension in my voice and they stared at me as if trying to discern the source of my slightly curt midwestern accent. My head dropped to my chest as they went back to their heated mumblings between themselves.

Just as I made my move to go inside, they both looked up at me and spoke simultaneously,

"Ye caint git thar-a from here-a".

Realizing my mistake in not stopping sooner, I braced myself for my friend's reaction at the news that we would likely be retracing our last hour of driving in order to get back to where we needed to be.

But first...a bathroom...and some coffee.
Repentance is never easy.

As I write this, I am thinking of a myriad of things that I need to repent of.  Rehearsing the life lesson described above, reminds me of what a waste of time, energy and peace of mind it is to continue on without stopping to ask for help.

The prophet Joel called for repentance that no one was exempt from, not even nursing mothers (2:15-17). A terrible plague of locusts was prophesied that foreshadowed the judgments of the Day of The Lord (2:1).

Fortunately, those in Joel's day did heed the prophets warning and the terrible plague was stayed. In a later day, the Assyrians laid seige against Jerusalem, and they were turned back by God after the plea and repentance of Israel's King, Hezekiah (Isaiah 36-39)

In a future day however, most of Israel will refuse to repent and fully two thirds of the nation of Israel will be killed (Zech 13:8). They will experience a crescendo of locust-like judgments that will overwhelm and leave the land of Israel barren and bereft of all hope, but one. (Zech 13:9)

That one hope is the same that any child of God has. It is that the Lord God Himself that will come to turn back the plague and restore that which the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25).

As long as we insist on following our own path, the way back to the Lord's blessing will be fraught with frustration, waste and spiritual devastation. We will all reach a dead end with the conclusion that 'ye cain't git thar-a from here-a'.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14