That Thing Under Your Seat

Rand McNally.

Like this post if you know what that means. For some of you, those two words take you back to a simpler time. The days of roll-up windows and no seatbelts in the back. Forget the Waze app, warning you about police ahead. You kept a noisy, overpriced radar detector suction-cupped to the windshield. Traffic warnings came in the form of brake lights and there was no alarm reminding you to check your blind spot before changing lanes.

You didn’t plug in your phone and type the address into GPS. Your trusty Rand McNally Atlas rode under the front passenger seat.

That dog-eared, paperback guide was your ride-or-die necessity. The night before a big trip, you pored over the atlas with a highlighter. Mapped the route. Noted rivers and highway changes. You calculated distance using only the tiny one-inch key in the corner. And you rocked those navigation skills, purchasing the latest Rand McNally edition every year (ahem, not through Amazon but in person, at Waldenbooks).

Fast forward to 2026. This morning I waited thirty extra minutes for grocery delivery from a nervous kiddo who couldn’t find my house. Rand McNally would have shown him the way. Easily. But his “updated” app misdirected him, and he eventually called me. Quite frantic. Fearful, even. Nearly in the next city over. He had no idea where to go.

I spent the next fifteen minutes of my life teaching him how to watch for numbers on mailboxes and track landmarks until he eventually turned into our driveway.

Sigh.

I fear these modern conveniences might be robbing future generations of common sense. But I digress. Because the whole thing got me thinking (as these things often do)…

To view the full video discussion of this week’s topic, click here.

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We’re overloaded with solutions and information these days. Reels. Shorts. Memes. GIFs. AI. Access to the entire world is granted at our fingertips. We can research any topic in a matter of seconds.

So it stands to reason life should be easier, more peaceful. Shouldn’t we enjoy extra time with our families? Nope. Just the opposite is true. Today, more than ever, we are a people living in fear and uncertainty. Nearly one third of Americans will suffer with an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.

When we’re stressed, we scroll. When we feel overwhelmed, we devour tense news stories. When life seems uncertain, we turn to a YouTube guru.

The greatest trusty source for all navigation, our Rand McNally for life, is the dusty Bible on the shelves in the living room. That book holds the truth. Every answer. It never fails us or grows irrelevant as the decades tick by. No updates required. Yet do we reach for it?

If you’re feeling anxious today, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite passages from that Good Book, Philippians 4:6-8, broken down into three helpful parts. This wisdom is my navigation system for the scary, uncharted routes in my own life.

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The first part of this passage reminds me: the best way to fight fear is with gratitude. We should ask with a thankful heart. Whenever I’m anxious, I try to stop and list my blessings. It’s nearly impossible to feel both fearful and grateful at the same time. Try it.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God,” (verse 6).

The next verse in this passage reminds me to embrace the miraculous peace of God, so my heart and mind will be guarded on my journey.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” (verse 7).

And the last part of this passage provides a hefty list of suggested things I can think about when the enemy does fill my head with fear, steering me off course.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things,” (verse 8).

Are you traveling life’s scariest roads today? There’s no substitution for the power of God’s Word under your front seat. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope,” (Romans 15:4).

There will be new apps. New ideas. Updates and technologies. But the ultimate source on this journey, our ride-or-die in black and white, is God’s road map. Only He can show us the way home.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8).

“God is your personal GPS. He will lead you in the right direction.” -Unknown

My book GOD STORIES is now available for purchase here. Or, to listen to the full audiobook for FREE, click here.