Gonna Come Out Somewhere
Nah, we′ll come out somewhere,
was my reply to Lisa′s question. We were on a trip to Upper Darby, outside of Philadelphia, to go to our nephew′s graduation party. We had
previously lived in the area for a year and because my work involved driving while we lived there, I had learned the area and the roads quickly. I could get just about anywhere.
However, that was over 20 years ago and though we had made occasional trips out there, the area had changed. Lisa and I were in the middle of a conversation when we crossed over a
familiar intersection and as we continued to talk I realized that my surroundings did not look familiar. I interrupted Lisa and said, I think I was supposed to turn left back there,
but continued driving. Lisa looked at me with a surprised look on her face and said, Aren′t you going to turn around?
That is when I muttered a phrase that we now use to this day and laugh every time we say it…Nah, we′ll come out somewhere.
We′ll come out somewhere?!
, was her reply. What is that supposed to mean?
Yeah, all these roads are connected. Eventually, I′ll recognize where we are and we will get there.
Sure enough, we came to a route number that I recognized and I knew exactly where we were. More importantly, I knew how to get to where we needed to go. We hadn’t lost any time and we were at our destination with plenty of time to spare. Not only did we come out somewhere, but we got to where we needed to be. We just took a different route to get there. One that really wasn′t out of our way.
The reason I bring this up is because our walk seems to be filled with intersections and there is this fear that we are going to miss a turn or take the wrong turn. We are terrified of making a mistake that will make life painful for us and take us longer to get to where God wants us or take us completely out of His will. I have seen people frozen for years and never make a move, trying to discern what God is trying to say.
Don′t get me wrong here. We need to be concerned about stepping out of God′s will, but I believe that happens when we deliberately step into doing what we wanted to and not considering
God’s will at all. Our heart intent is doing our own thing regardless of what God thinks. We try to justify our decisions by asking God to bless our steps. But when we are truly seeking
His direction, we are entering into the crucial area of trust. When we are in the area of trust, there is less concern about us knowing which way to go because we are trusting Him to guide
us. And why wouldn′t we if He has the aerial view and knows what is ahead. He knows the experiences we need to face to trust Him more and grow.
- Psalms 77:19 - Your way is in the sea, and Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps are not known.
- Isaiah 42:16 - And I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. I
will do these things to them, and not forsake them.
God does not always reveal His path, but it doesn′t mean He is making it up as we go along. He has purpose in everything He does. His path for the Israelites out of Egypt was through the Red Sea. That doesn′t make sense to us in the natural and not a way we would have chosen. But God had other intentions with this path. He wanted to show His glory to His people. This brought about a great deal of fear and anxiety in the Israelites, but it also eliminated an enemy that was chasing them down to destroy them. This path was necessary. God doesn′t want us to stay in the familiar just because it familiar; it′s what we′ve seen and know. He wants us to use what we′ve seen and known as encouragement as He stretches us and leads us down unfamiliar paths into new territory…I will lead them in paths they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. The neat thing He is saying here is that as we walk in this new territory, we will begin to recognize His hand in it. We will hear His voice directing our steps and end up exactly where we need to be at the proper time.
We can′t get hung up on deciding if we are making a wrong decision or a right decision because He knows the decision we are going to make. If He knows the path we are going to take, then aren’t we taking His path? (Just something to think about) Of course, some decisions may be better than others and the path less difficult, but He has a plan in place to get us to the destination. He has the entire picture and not our limited view…I will do these things to them, and not forsake them. I believe He will distract us to keep us from the familiar if that is needed. He just wants us to trust and rely on Him in all things.
Are you stuck at an intersection trying to decide which way to go? Are you in unfamiliar territory wondering if you are lost or if you messed up and can′t get back? Confusion and fear can keep us from hearing that still small voice. Let′s talk. Let′s see what God is wanting to show you. It would be our privilege to assist with you reconnecting with God.