I have come to the realization that there are two types of people: those who are like me and . . . the rest of the world. For example, I am a guy who can celebrate his birthday any day of the year. I was born on Oct. 7, but I have no problem celebrating on Oct. 6, Oct. 9 or even Jan. 11. I am not bound by the day of my birth. The rest of the world only celebrates birthdays on a specific day. If you give them a gift a week ahead of time, some internal clock keeps them from opening it until the exact date. If your gift comes a day late, it is no longer a birthday present but a “day after my birthday present.” I cannot fathom that kind of logic. And every once in a while, I get in trouble with . . . the rest of the world.

Recently, my wife and I went to visit our son and daughter-in-love in Rockwall, Texas. Out shopping, we found ourselves in a traffic jam. The cars all came to a grinding halt, inching forward only every so often. Since traffic was backed up as far as we could see, we decided to get off at the next exit and seek an alternate route. Praise be to our Lord Jesus, what should we find but . . . an electronics superstore.

Once again, I realized that there are two types of people: those who love to visit electronics superstores and . . . the rest of the world. Out of the four Moores present, I was the only one who wanted to wait out the traffic jam by spending our afternoon looking through computers, software, televisions, etc. We entered the world’s largest electronics store only to discover an amazing sale. Right away, I spotted exactly what I wanted: a Garmin Global Positioning System (GPS).

You may recall my fascination with GPS units. You can put one in your car and program it to take you from Point A to Point B. Its digital screen displays an electronic map, and a computerized voice talks you through your entire trip. The GPS says something like “In 500 feet, turn right on Elm Street.” A few seconds later, it lets you know you are nearing your turn: “In 250 feet, turn right on Elm Street.” The GPS guides you step by step.

That day, the store’s amazing sale included GPS units. The model I wanted was absent from the display, but the clerk said they might have another one in the storeroom. My dear wife looked at me, asking, “Is this what you want for Christmas?”

I responded, “Yes.” But she didn’t stop there. “If I buy it today, you must understand that you cannot open it until Christmas Day. Not 11:59 on Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day, and only Christmas Day.” I agreed to the terms. The sales clerk brought us the boxed GPS unit, and my wife purchased it.

Back in the car, I wanted to test my gift to make sure it worked before we got too far away. Once again, I realized that there are two types of people: those who test things and . . . the rest of the world. With the unit sealed securely in its box, my wife told me, “It works.” Since traffic was still backed up, we decided to take the back roads. Before long, we found ourselves guessing which way to turn. Happily, I announced that we should unpack the GPS unit. In mere minutes, it would have us back on track.

My family’s immediate response was, “We can’t get it out . . . it’s not Christmas!” We wandered around for 30 minutes while I tried to convince them that, in this emergency, it would be all right to use the GPS. I soon realized that there are two kinds of people: those who will unpack a Christmas present in an emergency, me, and . . . the rest of the world.

The rest of the world had a problem, and I had the answer . . . but no one was willing to use it. I see so many families just like this. They are having difficulties, experiencing a crisis, lacking direction. Somewhere in their house lies God’s GPS, but they won’t unpack it. They won’t seek the wisdom of the world’s greatest guidebook-the Bible. Instead, they continue to watch their family trapped in a downward spiral.

Yep, there are two types of people: those who will open the Word of God (even when it’s not Christmas) and those who remain lost. Will you consult His GPS, or are you like . . . the rest of the world?