November Challenge: Day 20

Have you ever driven to a destination, a destination you always go to, only to find out the main road you need is closed? Then there is that moment when you don't know where to go, but you know you have to make a decision. Today was one of those days. I was in between appointments with clients, driving the same roads I always drive, and then I saw that orange diamond alerting me to a road closure. Thankfully I have GPS on my phone and I was able to have Siri help me figure it out. I know I already did a post on technology, but I decided that I needed to do a post for GPS. 

GPS is truly an amazing aspect of the modern world. I don't have to know how to get somewhere. I only have to know where I want to go. The creation of GPS has allowed humans to find places that they would have only dreamed of before, has saved countless relationships from fights, and has allowed us to experience a variety of locations without being stranded on a road unsure of where to go next. GPS has also allowed us to overcome life's roadblocks, saving us from stress as we try to figure it out, and allowing us to still reach our destinations on time. 

Knowing how to get to your destination is a wonderful thing. GPS is not the only item that tells us how to get to our destination. The Bible does too. If you know where you want to go for eternity, heaven or hell, then the Bible tells you exactly how to get there. The Bible is the GPS for our souls and just like the GPS I am thankful for the Bible, which has kept me on the path to my destination since I was first saved 20 years ago. Yes, there are times I have taken a wrong turn or life has thrown a roadblock in my way, but the Bible has always gotten me back on track. 

What are you thankful for today?

Embracing Change

Today marked the last day of the semester with my clients and the start of a new semester with new clients. Change has never been my favorite life experience and the unknown aspects of change still frighten me, but I am beginning to welcome and embrace change. Suddenly change seems promising and the concept of change brings hope rather than fear. My fears haven't left me, but I feel as if this journey has helped them evolve. Multiple changes are on the horizon and I am no longer paralyzed by fear. My focus is on God, knowing He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me (Jeremiah 29:11). This journey is putting things in perspective as my focus shifts from the short term destination to the final destination, the eternal one. From this perspective I see the need for lengthy periods of change to help me grow and become more like Christ. I know I have been given the strength to endure and that there is an end in sight. Life is a marathon and not a sprint; it requires training to finish. 

The Misstep

Life is a journey of many paths and though we believe we are on the right path, we sometimes misstep and stumble. A misstep doesn't mean the path we are on is bad, but rather that we took our eyes off of the road and made a mistake. This happens much the same way as when we are walking on a sidewalk and trip over a tree root or unevenness in the concrete. The sidewalk isn't bad; we simply lost sight of the path our feet was walking on. Sometimes we are so focused on the end of a path that we try to speed up to hurry and reach our destination. In our hurry, we forget to look critically at our path, and we stumble as we take a misstep.

A misstep is a stumble and not a fall. You can regain your focus, regain your calm, and restart on your path. Stumbling is not the end. Peter, in his path to Jesus, had to walk on water. He was doing it and then he misstep (by looking down in disbelief), which made him begin to sink, but he called out to Jesus. Jesus was there to help him back on his path with His arm outstretched to Peter. Peter's misstep was not the end of his journey, but rather an opportunity to grow and learn more about his destination: Jesus. Jesus could have become upset, He could have put Peter back on the boat and walked away, but He didn't because there was more to be learned from the misstep then if Peter had walked on water perfectly in faith. God could easily prevent us from stumbling, but He doesn't. He allows for the missteps and He allows for consequences because His desire is that we would learn and that we would grown in our faith. 

As we hurry towards our destinations, eager for the path to end, we need to stop and remember that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. We will all get where we need to go, but we won't all learn what we need to know before we get there. Watch out for the missteps, do your best to stay on the path, but don't worry if you should stumble. Reach out and grab Jesus' outstretched hand, allow Him to pull you back on your path, and continue on your journey. Your path is not a track to be ran, but a journey to be enjoyed.