We're on the right road now

I was driving through an unfamiliar town with a friend of mine, and we were looking for a restaurant we were meeting some friends at. This was not just any restaurant. It was one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. Also, it’s one of the cheapest. I can get my favorite meal, nachos with chicken and onions and pepper all covered with a white spicy cheese, all for a little over three bucks. Now that’s what I call a deal!

Anyway, on with the story. My friend and I had to make a stop somewhere downtown where I personally had never been before. After we were done there, we left to go to the restaurant. We were trying to decide where we should turn when we came to the highway signs. “Keep going straight,” I said, “I know the restaurant’s on Highway 1. There will be a spot to turn off up here a little ways.”

After about two miles (it seemed like, but probably only one) I was finally like, “Okay. We either missed the turn or we’re going the wrong way.” My friend laughs at me and says, “Um, no. It’s on this road. We didn’t have to turn off of it,” as we’re turning in to the restaurant. I was completely turned around in this crazy little town!

I was totally expecting us to have to take a right turn to have to get to the road that we were already on. It just didn’t seem like it should be the way that we should get there. All I kept thinking is, “Surely the turnoff’s up here.” “Well, maybe it’s this next one,” never expecting that we were on the right path.

Sometimes that’s that way I feel when God’s leading me somewhere. When I’m going down a rough and rocky hill too fast for me to control it anymore, I keep thinking, “Surely the turnoff’s up here somewhere. God can’t really expect me to make it to the bottom of this hill and then have to go all the way back up.” The thing is, that’s just what God expects us to do. When there’s no easy way around it, He’s going to take us right through the middle, through all the yuck and mess and hurt and pain. You think there should be a turnoff somewhere up ahead, but come to find out, you’re on the road that you’re supposed to be on, going through all the yuck and mess and hurt and pain. That’s how we grow. If life was always easy, how would we know how to work for what we wanted or needed? And if we didn’t have to work for what we wanted or needed, how would we really appreciate it?

So when you're going through the mess, the pain, and the hurt and anger, just remember, God's got a plan and, if you got off course by your calculations, pretty soon you'll realize you were always on the right path if you're truly following God's will for your life!!