Where’s the Shoe Factory?

So, what's on my mind?

This past weekend, I had to take a trip up to Blairsville, Georgia. I wasn’t sure exactly where my specific destination was, so I had to put the address in my GPS. At one point, it directed me to turn onto Shoe Factory Road. I chuckled to myself and immediately imagined someone rolling down their window and asking, “Hey, where’s the shoe factory?”

It got me thinking: wouldn’t it be nice if faith were that easy to navigate? If you needed hope, just take a left on Hope Avenue. If your prayer life needed a little work, detour to Prayer Parkway. Struggling with forgiveness? No problem—U-turn onto Grace Boulevard.

Instead, the path of faith is a little more winding, a little less clearly labeled. Sometimes we’re not sure if we’re headed in the right direction. Sometimes we’re looking for signs—literal or spiritual—and all we get is “recalculating.” And yet, God’s promise is not that every road will be clearly marked, but that He will walk with us on each step of the journey.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Faith isn’t always about knowing the exact next turn. It’s about trusting the One who does. So even when you’re not sure what lies ahead, know that God is still guiding you. And sometimes, it’s okay to laugh along the way.

May God hold you,

Rev Chris Hester