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I have been driving now for more years than I’d like to admit. I’ve driven on dusty back roads, wide open highways, congested busy streets and stop and go traffic. I’ve travelled through LA during rush hour–with all 10 lanes of traffic jam packed (not for the faint at heart), and in cities where if I didn’t jump quickly into traffic, if I even slightly hesitated, I would be stuck for what seemed like forever. I’ve experienced road rage where, shall we say, the best sides of my character seemed to be on vacation. I’ve been on the receiving end of road rage, including having a gun pulled on me in traffic (ironically, I wasn’t even doing anything particularly wrong when that happened). I’ve been hit and bumped. The road hasn’t always been smooth, which my suspension can sometimes attest to. And I’m not even sharing the experiences that come with helping someone else learn to drive!
I think life can feel a lot like that road. We get out there anticipating open highways and scenic routes to abound. But it doesn’t seem to go that way. We get stuck; we get hurt. We get overwhelmed by our own emotions and by the emotions of others. Our spiritual and emotional “car” breaks down and we found ourselves on the side of the road, unsure of how to move forward.
Let me tell ya–God rocks at repairs. Seriously. He has this uncanny ability to help me see what needs to be fixed and what I need to grow in my understanding of. He extends grace to me when I’m at fault, helping me to learn and grow in the process so I can stop repeating the same mistakes. Knowing He does that for me allows me to be more gracious to others, to remember that I don’t know the road someone has travelled, or what they have suffered along their journey. He helps me to find peace in the crazy traffic jams of life, to reach for the good in any given situation no matter how hard.
Yes, it takes training. As much as I would’ve loved to simply say a quick prayer and have God show up, miraculously change my situation and help me get on the road again, that has rarely been the case. But I have learned that when I consistently invite Him into a situation, He begins to reveal so much to me, good stuff, important stuff that over time not only helps me to move forward again, but to move more effectively and joyfully. I still get stuck, but how He has taught me to handle it has made all the difference.
What do you find yourself stuck in right now? Religiosity? Heartache? Loneliness? Fear? Lack of direction? Remember that God made you. He wired you together. He intimately knows who you are, what makes you tick, what your strengths are and even your challenges. He’s not there condemning you, nor does He neglect you. Proverbs 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” And we are reminded in Psalm 10:14, “But you do see! You take note of the trouble and grief in order to take the matter into your own hand. The helpless one commits himself to you; you have been the orphan’s helper.”
Tired of being stuck? Commit yourself and your life’s journey to God. Make space to continually discover what that means in your life. God will show you a better path forward.
For Further Thought: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11-2). What keeps you from embracing this truth in your life? This week, pray for God to begin steering you around it.
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