Embrace the Journey

Ever have one of those days where it feels everything you start, ends in failure or disaster? Or maybe life's circumstances just have you down of late. Maybe you can identify with Charlie Brown:

Funny, but oh, so true. 

Sometimes it is so easy to enjoy the paved roads and smooth sidewalks through  life, but what do we do when the road gets rocky and bumpy? Do we press on, knowing that God balances rain with sunshine, storms with peace, tears with laughter?

Psalm 91:15 says, "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. Do we have the courage to look away from ourselves and our difficulties and turn, in faith, to look to Christ?

Whatever journey God may be taking you on right now, remember God never wastes 'detours.' How much of our journey do we overlook because we are too busy focused on tomorrow? I encourage you to embrace the now.

If anyone is a pro at overcoming obstacles, that reward could go to Jesus. He was born into a poor family, a member of a rejected minority race. He grew up in a little town of Nazareth where it was scorned, "Can anything good come from there?" He surrounded himself with ordinary friends; one became a traitor and another denied even knowing Him. Jesus was called a liar, glutton, drunkard, and a man associated with the devil. People twisted His words and questioned His motives, but Jesus continued to do God's will no matter the cost. Even to death on a cross.

We sang Rend Collective's "My Lighthouse" last Sunday at church and it's been on my heart this week. How reassuring that God won't walk out on all our failures and His love can lead us through anything! Look to Him in any dark storms causing you turmoil. And hear His whisper, "Just wait, my daughter, it will make sense someday. Until then, embrace the journey."






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Foggy Twists and Turns

Image
 Earlier this week our area was blanketed in a thick fog as I drove my daughter to school. Fog is such a weird sensation! It is difficult to see long-distance, but things can suddenly become clear as you get closer. Everything looks shadowy and our eyes take extra effort to focus on what is in front of us. Only the sun or light can bring clarity to our surroundings. I was reminded that much of life can feel like a fog. We cannot see the future or the end result. Many times we find ourselves blindly clamoring through life, seeking direction, and really only having enough faith to put one step in front of the other. Fog can feel frustrating. We so desperately want to see clearly but have no ability of our own to make the fog disappear. However, the light of the "Son's" rays can push that fog out of the way and bring much-needed clarity.  I was also recently struck by this odd sidewalk that I regularly walk on during my daughter's music lesson. My personality tendencies
Read more

The Idol of Comfort

Image
If you're reading this blog in the state of Pennsylvania, you'll know that we had quite the heat wave this week. It has felt more like the throes of July than our typical autumn September days! Of course, it just so happened that with the week's hot forecast fresh on my mind, I kept waking up Monday night due to an unusual sound coming from our air conditioner...and our house felt hot! Sure enough, by late afternoon on Tuesday, our air conditioner was running constantly and unable to keep the house cool. After a call to our HVAC repairman, we were relieved they could come out Wednesday afternoon. It was very humid Wednesday morning and our thermostat was already climbing to 79* at 8 am, but to our surprise, our "hero" arrived early! A simple part was replaced and life in the heat felt bearable again! Sadly, this experience was yet another humbling reminder that "comfort" is just as much of an idol for me as "control" is. Why is it that feeling
Read more

Deep Cleaning: My Pantry and My Marriage

Image
 A new year...the dead of winter...what better way to spend the day than tackling projects that have been put on the back burner for far too long! A few weeks ago I knew I needed to address my kitchen pantry. I had caught my husband in there with a measuring tape, who was dreaming up an idea to add more shelving and improve its functionality. To be honest with you, my pantry is nothing to brag about. It's barely a walk-in closet, perhaps more accurately called a step-in closet! But deep down inside, I knew it didn't need a complete overhaul; it simply needed to be organized! There were times I couldn't find an ingredient I needed, so I simply bought more. Then a few days later, I would find it and the duplicates would continue to grow. I feel vulnerable sharing these photos, but I suppose most people can enjoy a good before and after transformation! Yep, complete chaos that kept the door from being shut at times! I admit I felt very overwhelmed I didn't know where to st
Read more