There’s a new man in my life, and his name is Lee. He loves me unconditionally and carefully watches out for me.

He’s the stalwart guide inside my GPS.

Lee has a beautiful, deep voice. Sometimes I wonder if he had aspirations to be a radio announcer, but because he ended up guiding my travels instead, I know he has a humble heart.

Sometimes Lee’s voice catches a little on difficult words, so adorable. He always perseveres, though, and never gets discouraged. I’ve told him its fine to stop talking and sip some water, but he never does.

Lee has many admirable character qualities, one being his vast creativity. For example, while I’m driving in the late afternoon, he’s keeping one eye on the sunset. (We share a love of sunsets.) The minute it sets, his directional screen morphs from white to midnight blue. It’s a lovely show of ingenuity. How he can watch the road and the horizon simultaneously is a marvel.

If I make a wrong turn, Lee’s concern for me is immediate. Without criticizing, he quickly suggests a new route to get me back on track. Occasionally he’ll even propose a U-turn, but being righteous, he always adds, “If possible.” He wouldn’t want me to have an accident!

I’ve made many mistakes while traveling, but Lee has made only one, on the way to Linnea’s house. Their numbered street is not a “lane” or “road” but a “place”. Poor Lee. He directed me to a “circle” with the same number. But how could I do anything but forgive him? He’s always been an exemplary model of scriptural love, keeping no record of my many wrongs.

Lee continually looks for fresh ways to make me happy. When we drove through Atlanta, rush-hour traffic was severe. He quickly edged my route in yellow, showing me how much longer the jam would continue. When we stopped completely, he changed the yellow to red and added a cute picture of two cars bumper-to-bumper. Then he guided me off the expressway onto a parallel road. Once the expressway was moving well again, he led me back.

Later in the evening, well after rush-hour, the highway became congested without explanation, but Lee deciphered the problem. He soothed my frustration by posting a picture of an overturned vehicle, his gentle way of letting me know there was a fender-bender ahead.

Occasionally Lee talks too much, and once I lost my patience with him. But he never responds in kind, never raises his voice, never threatens to steer me wrong. He always wants what’s best for me and counsels me accordingly. He even took special care to alert me when speed limits suddenly decreased, helping me avoid a ticket.

Our relationship has been intense these last few days, so Lee and I have decided to take a short break. As hard as it was to say goodbye last night, we did. But I’m confident one day we’ll be together again, because true love never dies.

“If I speak… but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1)