Going Places With Neva Neverlost
A Silent Night With Neva --North American Style
We first met “Neva Neverlost” in a rental car, and spent a week with this GPS (Going Places Sanely)—our first experience with her kind. Though we couldn’t take her home with us, we can only imagine what Christmas shopping might be like with a GPS who has a mind of her own…
“OK, Neva…here we go!” I franticly programmed my shopping partner, simultaneously babbling about my intended destinations. “This is going to be a wonderful, peaceful Christmas, isn’t it! There’s a lot to do, but I can make it happen. Yeah…it’ll all get done, won’t it, Neva. You don’t mind if the Christmas CD is on, do you? I’ll turn it down so I can still hear you. There—some quiet, peaceful carols will be great.”
Silent night…holy night… I backed out onto the street. “OK, so first we’re going to The Bargain Bin. I think I need more decorations this year…their Christmas stuff is really cheap.”
….Sleep in heavenly peace … My fingers rum-pa-pum-pummeled the steering wheel as I waited for a break in traffic. “If everyone would just slow down a teensy bit, I could get in!” I muttered. “Then, on to the mall—we have to get to the Figgery Farms display before the baskets of figgy puddings are sold out.”
….O morning stars together … “I want to buy a basket for all of our neighbors, and the paper boy, and the dentist—OK, not the dentist. Why do the other lanes always move faster than mine? If we ever get going, we can beat the after-school rush and park closer to the store.”
…proclaim the holy birth… “While we’re there I’ll run to the post office at the other end to buy stamps for these Christmas cards and mail them and these missionary packages. Hey—that car pulled in front of me—I WAS HERE FIRST!”
…and praises sing to God our King… “Next, it’s over to Costmore to pick up a meat and cheese platter for the church Christmas program on Sunday. I wish I hadn’t signed up for it now. I don’t see why somebody else can’t do something once in awhile!”
…and peace to men on earth… “Oh, and there’s the sale on poinsettias at Frugalmart—wonder if we can make it before it starts to get dark. Oh no—I’ve forgotten my coupon! HEY—LET ME GET INTO THE TURN LANE! Honestly—it’s Christmas, people—have a little good will!”
“…recalculating…“
“Not now, Neva, I’m trying to focus here…please be quiet!”
“…recalculating…at the next… opportunity…make…a legal…u-turn.”
“Sorry, Neva, we’re almost there, and besides, that’s not what I programmed you to do.”
“…recalculating…” Her voice reminded me of my grade four math teacher.
“Stop it, Neva…you’re making me upset…”
“…recalculating…”
Horns blared as the wheel suddenly spun through my hands on its own; we were heading in the opposite direction.
“What’s going on?” I couldn’t budge the wheel. The brake and gas pedals moved by themselves.
“Neva! I refuse to be taken hostage by a satellite and a piece of plastic! You work for me, remember?” I yelled.
Ignoring my fuming, Neva expertly threaded us through traffic and headed us homeward and into my driveway. I grabbed the door handle…locked. All efforts to leave the car proved futile. Even the horn was silent.
It was dark by the time I had calmed. (To her credit, Neva did allow the heat on). I thought about my idea of Christmas, and peace. Didn’t I have good will? Wasn’t I trying to make this a festive time? What was wrong with wanting to meet a deadline, or giving gifts to others, or serving, or getting bargains to stay out of debt? Did I need to give up my enjoyment of Christmas to have peace?
I thought about how, long before any commercial celebration of our own making, that angelic choir had glorified God for His Gift and proclaimed peace while their astounded audience of shepherds listened from front-row seats. This good will that they heard about was based on God’s sending His Son. That peace had not immediately become mine. No, I had to come face to face with the Prince of Peace, realizing and accepting Him as the only way to be delivered from my peace-less state and being reconciled to Him through the death of His Son. I now had daily access to that peace, but my ability to receive it depended on whether I followed my will or His.
There in the car I decided that, if I really wanted that daily peace, then programming my heart to seek His will should come before programming Neva. Yes, busyness would still be there, and I would eventually cross off entries on my Christmas “to do” list. But, as John 14:27 says, the peace that He left is not the peace of the world, nor the way the world views it. I could celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas and know that I had access to His peace, whether I was somewhere alone for that day, or whether I stood in the middle of a mall on Dec. 24th. I never want to stop being amazed by those words in Luke 2.
Oh-- in case you were wondering, Neva did eventually let me out of the car.
