Hey, You're Going the Wrong Way

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12 NIV

"Another wrong way driver had an accident this morning on our interstate, injuring both drivers," comes the almost weekly report.

For some crazy reason wrong way drivers has become more of a norm. Other drivers try to make those driving the wrong way aware of the dire circumstances, but sometimes they are completely ignored.

Children aren't much different, as their caretaker and guide I try to steer them on the right path. I try to make them aware of their wrong doing, only to be completely ignored. At least when I'm ignored I can really guide the child back to the right path by a time-out.

Come to think of it we as adults aren't much different. I know if I'm on the wrong path, I get a little upset when someone tries to guide me back onto the right path. Eventually though, I listen and soon I am successful again. (No time out needed)

I wonder how God feels when He sees us on the wrong path. He sends us the warning signals that we aren't going the way we should. Then we completely ignore Him and continue on the path which will lead to dire circumstances.

Lucky for us we don't have to stay on this wrong path. We can realize it before the disaster happens, and turn back around so we can get on the right path. A path that will lead to righteousness and cover all our wrongs.

Not The Best Picture

"For I know the plans 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 NIV

"This is not the way I pictured it," rings through our heads time and time again.

Back in high school I dreamed about the future: the man I'd marry, the children I'd have, and even the home where I would live. Even further back in middle school, my friends and I would draw out floor plans of our homes. How big our dreams were?

Now as I live my life, it's not exactly as I pictured it. At one point I imagined living in the mountains where my grandparents had a chalet, it was so peaceful there. Instead I live in flat lands where heat seems to be the norm. Our home is modest nothing extraordinary, but I love it. Not exactly the way I pictured it, but it's home.

My family isn't exactly the way I imagined it to be either. There isn't always peace in our home, sometimes there is chaos and strife. My perfect children born in the order I pretended was far from the reality I received. At one point I even thought my dreams were shattered. After 10 weeks of pregnancy, I lost our first child. My heart was broken, would I ever to be able to have children? Thankfully, this was not the case. I'm grateful for my three not-so-perfect children.

My career isn't exactly the way I thought it would be either. I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. A preschool teacher, a teacher of God's love, and a homeschool teacher not exactly the way I pictured it, but exactly where I am supposed to be.

Sure as we enter into the grown up world we all have a big picture; a way of life the way we want it to be. The better picture would be trusting in God in the way He wants it to be. Maybe to you it's not the best picture, but to Him it's picture perfect.

Refreshing Rain

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:3 NIV

A hot cub scout family camp out weekend. To take a shower was out of the question. So I figured I could wait until we got home. The greasy hair, the smelly body, and the overall feeling of dirtiness; I couldn't wait to shower. Our trip home though brought unforeseen delays. Refreshment came when I could finally stand under the water and get clean.

The brown grass, the dead plants, and the saggy trees the land couldn't wait for some water. Our poor yard looked like it hadn't seen water in years. The grass in the backyard was almost non-existent. The kids would track dirt into the house. The water from the sprinkler just wasn't enough. Finally, the rain came and soon everything was green and lush again.

The emptiness, the doubt, and the wonder if He is even hearing my prayer. The longing to know why a situation has happened and how exactly does God what me to fix it can be tough to go through. Why do I feel so helpless? Why can't it just get better right now?

Finally, a little hope emerges even when unforeseen circumstances seem to make the situation worse. Still we grab onto the hope knowing God's got this, a little refreshing rain is better than no rain. One day the sun rises and we know He's here carrying us through the situation. Then finally it happens the spring rains drench us and we are refreshed.

The Pole That Always Gets in the Way

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 NIV

"The school called me today, my daughter walked into a pole," my sister-in-law shares with me.

A memory arises within me. It was my fifth grade year, I was finishing up my post as a patrol and was heading to my bike. "I need to practice," I thought.

So I closed my eyes and began walking around the school. Unfortunately, my plan of pretending to be blind did not end well. Yep, you guessed it. I ran smack dab into a pole. I ended up with a nice goose egg in the middle of my forehead.

Maybe this is why I didn't get the part of a blind girl in "The Miracle Worker."

This got me thinking about how easy it is for us to take our eyes of the path. We become distracted by talking to friends, focusing on something else, or closing our eyes and walking around blindly. We temporarily forget that there is a prize to keep our eyes on.

Jesus kept his eyes on the prize; He endured the pain of the cross so we could all receive the prize. So no matter the pain or crisis we are currently enduring we need to keep our focus on the path, so our heads don't end up meeting a pole.