I keep two or more hard-copy roadmaps in my car; at least one is an Official Georgia Roadmap. Sometimes passengers think I’m a Hutterite. I am not. I simply like to see the context and texture paper roadmaps give. Don’t judge me. I do use my car’s GPS—usually if I am uncertain of a precise address (full disclosure—I mostly use WYZE for navigation—thus I don’t buy the annual GPS CD update).
For fresh roadmaps, I rely on Georgia Department Of Transportaion (GDOT); Each year around January 15, an updated hard-copy Georgia roadmap is published. It is large (Georgia is the largest State East of the Mississippi River!) That map is a goldmine of information about Georgia.
Yes. I know. There’s the Internet. At most it’s the size of the screen on your iPhone or computer—and yes, it offers information at your finger tips. But there is no context—try looking up “Roberta, Georgia” on the Internet. You find a photo—and maybe three sentences? Take a hardcopy Georgia roadmap, and you get contextual, geographical, topographic, and visual information—not just a penurious post; which is why I keep roadmaps in my car.
An ancillary advantage of a hardcopy map is that you can learn more than simple driving directions. The physical roadmap, can easily offer diversion to your journey into interesting side trips. I have a friend who. when traveling often takes side trips when not in a big hurry to arrive at a specific destination. Often interesting people, places, and possibilities pop up on these side trips. It simply adds flavor to a journey.
The Bible says for forty years the Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land. The distance was about 130 miles. It took 40 years—not because they had neither GPS or Roadmap—but they had a better Guide; God. There was to be more to the journey than simply getting there. Joy for the journey would not exactly describe it, but it produced profound depth and meaning—into which joy was woven.
When a professor of mine at Emory retired, we asked him his plans. He said, “My wife and I plan to get into the car and follow the radiator. ” He was planning on joy-filled journeys. His plan glowed with excitement and pleasure. I think finding joy is a gift of God.
Jesus had joy in his life; I kinda think Jesus’ first miracle—turning water into wine —was partly to add joy to his people. I think he knew that doing a miracle publicly could be too dramatic for some people. By tossing some joy into a family wedding, he could grease the skids for reluctant ones; he chose a genesis point where seeing the signs and wonders of God could open up.
©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2023
(On a side note, just so you’ll know, you can pick up a free, current Georgia Roadmap at any GDOT office, Georgia State Patrol Station, or Georgia Welcome Center.)
Love the map story. I still have Bobby’s Ga map in the car. Yes he would ask me to look at the map. Ha ha I would tell him you know I don’t down East from west. We always got a chuckle. A lot if times we will pull off the road so he could look at it.🤣🤣