Happy Fourth of July!
This week, I had the pleasure of going on some adventures, and I want to share with you some of the brief lessons.
1. On our way to our first stop, we left later than we anticipated and stopped more frequently than we planned. We thought we knew approximately how long it would take to get there, but when we mapped it, it was almost twice the time. By the time we got close, it was pitch black, the roads were bad and we were high up in the mountains. As there didn’t seem to be any clear markers of how to get to our destination, we turned back a few feet away from the home we were to stay in. The next day, we were driving in the daylight, but from a different direction, and again, we turned back within feet of this destination.
The lesson: don’t give up too soon on your dream. My cousin and I were reminded of the man in the meme who was digging for diamonds, and literally turned back after going some far way. The comparison picture showed how close he had been. Literally one more dig. That’s exactly how we felt both times. Don’t give up too soon.
2. We were staying at another home where we had never gone before. This time, we had specific instructions that the roads were bad, but the end will be worth it. I trusted the guidance of the person who had provided me them. She was right, the roads were bad. As the car being driven was small and low to the ground, there was a time we thought it best to get out and walk – which we did. But, can I tell you? The end result was AMAZING. Thank you my friend!
The lesson: there are times we are on paths, and while we don’t have clear instructions that the roads (journey) will be bad, the destination may far exceed the trouble on the journey. I’ve been doing a devotion on the life of Joseph and his time of waiting. God had clearly shown him as a teenager, both his brothers and father bowing to him. But that outcome took many years, being sold, imprisoned, through feast and famine to come to pass. Just because the road is difficult, doesn’t mean God isn’t in it.
3. I like to plan out details. If you know me, you know I need the plan of what is ahead. At the last moment, we decided to change what we were doing. I booked one place to stay, only for it to be canceled by the owner. The second place I booked, within hours of when we needed to arrive, the owner hadn’t responded yet. I decided to remain calm and ask God to send us where He would. We opted for a third option, and I believe it worked out better than the first two that I tried. We even met a YouTuber that my daughter was so excited to meet that she asked for a picture.
The lesson: there are times that things won’t work out the way you want or have planned. Remain flexible, and ask God to control every aspect of what is happening, then, trust Him with the outcome. It’s usually better than you can imagine.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for these lessons once more. Help us to learn from them. Help us to learn to trust the process that you are taking us through, and realize that we are being strengthened in these times, especially as you build our endurance and perseverance muscles.
