There are different ways to do a driving holiday.
You can take your own motor, from your own front door, drive on the ferry and off you go.
Or you can park it at the airport and pick up a hire car on the other side. Both ways have pros and cons.
When the kids were young we packed our seven seater to the roof (AND a roof box too!) and drove the length of Ireland and the UK, taking two ferries to get from Donegal to France. We pretty soon switched to the ‘fly/drive’ option, picking up a usually almost new hire car at the far airport. That way we toured parts of Italy, Spain and USA.
Most recently Hazel and I had a more modest jaunt, just as far as Chester and the Lake District. We flew Belfast/Liverpool and found our shiny SUV waiting.
With all that experience what could possibly go wrong?
It went fine until the day we wanted to visit someone near Coventry. That’s quite a bit south, way past Birmingham. I did my homework, Googling the route the night before and even wrote the road numbers down, just in case the Satnav took a hissy fit. We wanted the M53 taking us onto the M56 and so to the M6 South.
I successfully negotiated the Chester suburbs, found the roundabout and confidently swung onto the M53, paying careful attention to the roadworks and the traffic.
After ten minutes or so I was aware my wife was looking at me, meaningfully.
‘Yes?’ I said brightly, to which she replied, ‘You’re going the wrong way!’
Surely not, I’d studied it on my phone. We were on the M53. Fair enough there was no sign of the M56 or M6 or Birmingham, just signs for Liverpool but…and then it dawned on me. We were going the wrong way! Aargh!
Well, as soon as we found a slip road we exited, traversed another roundabout and joined the M53 again in the opposite direction. Surely everything would be alright now?
About twenty minutes later still no word of M56 etc, just a sign saying, ‘Welcome to North Wales!’
Eventually after a stop at services to breathe, calm down and recheck the route we discovered I’d missed a turn back near the beginning, somewhere near those road works.
So at last, about 45 minutes later than intended we joined the M56 and were properly on our way!
Lessons?
Well, two at least.
If you want to get to Birmingham there’s no point heading for Liverpool. Fast or slow, Rolls-Royce or a Mini, you’re going the wrong way! You need to change direction.
And there again it’s important not just to go a different direction, you need to find the right one! Scenic it may be but North Wales is really no better than Liverpool when it’s Birmingham we need.
Jesus once spoke of loads of people on a ‘broad’, popular road who were actually headed for disaster. He urged people to make sure they found the ‘narrow’ path, sometimes less popular but leading to heaven!
Christ often used the word ‘repent’, meaning not just to change course in any direction but to consciously leave every way God disapproves and choose the way of trust, obedience and life!
And what course of life could ever be better than following the One Who lived with such unique integrity and compassion?
Yep. That sounds like a plan!
You can take your own motor, from your own front door, drive on the ferry and off you go.
Or you can park it at the airport and pick up a hire car on the other side. Both ways have pros and cons.
When the kids were young we packed our seven seater to the roof (AND a roof box too!) and drove the length of Ireland and the UK, taking two ferries to get from Donegal to France. We pretty soon switched to the ‘fly/drive’ option, picking up a usually almost new hire car at the far airport. That way we toured parts of Italy, Spain and USA.
Most recently Hazel and I had a more modest jaunt, just as far as Chester and the Lake District. We flew Belfast/Liverpool and found our shiny SUV waiting.
With all that experience what could possibly go wrong?
It went fine until the day we wanted to visit someone near Coventry. That’s quite a bit south, way past Birmingham. I did my homework, Googling the route the night before and even wrote the road numbers down, just in case the Satnav took a hissy fit. We wanted the M53 taking us onto the M56 and so to the M6 South.
I successfully negotiated the Chester suburbs, found the roundabout and confidently swung onto the M53, paying careful attention to the roadworks and the traffic.
After ten minutes or so I was aware my wife was looking at me, meaningfully.
‘Yes?’ I said brightly, to which she replied, ‘You’re going the wrong way!’
Surely not, I’d studied it on my phone. We were on the M53. Fair enough there was no sign of the M56 or M6 or Birmingham, just signs for Liverpool but…and then it dawned on me. We were going the wrong way! Aargh!
Well, as soon as we found a slip road we exited, traversed another roundabout and joined the M53 again in the opposite direction. Surely everything would be alright now?
About twenty minutes later still no word of M56 etc, just a sign saying, ‘Welcome to North Wales!’
Eventually after a stop at services to breathe, calm down and recheck the route we discovered I’d missed a turn back near the beginning, somewhere near those road works.
So at last, about 45 minutes later than intended we joined the M56 and were properly on our way!
Lessons?
Well, two at least.
If you want to get to Birmingham there’s no point heading for Liverpool. Fast or slow, Rolls-Royce or a Mini, you’re going the wrong way! You need to change direction.
And there again it’s important not just to go a different direction, you need to find the right one! Scenic it may be but North Wales is really no better than Liverpool when it’s Birmingham we need.
Jesus once spoke of loads of people on a ‘broad’, popular road who were actually headed for disaster. He urged people to make sure they found the ‘narrow’ path, sometimes less popular but leading to heaven!
Christ often used the word ‘repent’, meaning not just to change course in any direction but to consciously leave every way God disapproves and choose the way of trust, obedience and life!
And what course of life could ever be better than following the One Who lived with such unique integrity and compassion?
Yep. That sounds like a plan!
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