The Road Before Me...

The other day I was out running errands which required me to drive in a really pretty area on a beautiful day with lots of time to...think. As I passed such gorgeous scenery and my mind began to wander, I found myself driving through a dense fog of memories. You may ask why I was driving through a "fog" of memories instead of dancing lightly on moss colored paths of rose strewn memories, and I will tell you.

When you are driving down the road where there is thick fog, it decreases your visibility. You are unable to see in front of you or around you effectively. You have to go slowly and your way is darker because of the visual obstruction caused by the fog. Well, memories can be like fog. Memories can be good or bad, but they are just that...memories. They are not forward motion, but a glance behind. And when our memories consume us, rather than being able to move forward, we find our path obstructed.

What the Lord showed me as I drove home that day was how our lives are very like our car driving down the road. He showed me how He has us on a particular path, going to specific destinations in life, and it is our choice whether we will stay on the path appointed for us and do all that He has called us to do, or whether we will choose our own way and allow distractions to pull our attention down the wrong road.

I saw lots of interesting looking paths off to the side of the road: country trails, side roads, beautiful fields...but none of these places were going to get me to my destination. And if I went the wrong way, I would simply have to backtrack and take longer getting where I was going because I got off the right road. It's so very important that we hold God's hand tightly and walk with Him, beside Him, allowing Him to lead us in the right direction. Our ways are not His ways, so trusting the direction we think we should go without first waiting to see if He is leading us there will sometimes set us back a long way or land us in an entirely wrong place.

One thing that God showed me so clearly was how important it is to look ahead. The dense fog of memories were behind me, and I could look in the rear view mirror to see where I had been, but He showed me that if we continue to look in the rear view mirror at what is behind, then we are no longer able to see what is ahead. If our focus is not set on the road before us, then we will not be able to go very far on it. Staring in the rear view mirror while trying to drive forward will almost certainly lead to a wreck. We have a choice to make...to hang onto the past and remain caught up in the "woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's," or in the has been's and all of the good old days, or bad old days in some cases; OR we can set our eyes on the road before us, listen for the voice of the the Sovereign Lord who only wants the very best for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and follow HIS path into our future. The best is yet to come. Believe it, and let go of what is gone.

Finding Refuge

I love how God speaks to us in so many different ways. One tool that He has spoken to me much through is "The Hiding Place," the story of Corrie Ten Boom. She and her family hid and saved hundreds of Jews during the holocaust, and were punished severely when they were caught. I have been listening to a dramatization of the story on audio, and have found such wonderful wisdom to apply to my own life today.

One thing that has really stood out to me is the forgiveness displayed by Corrie's sister, Betsy, and how this affected Corrie...leading her to be able to forgive those who had done such great harm to her and her family. Betsy compared all situations to things that Jesus had gone through, and opened Corrie's eyes up to what true forgiveness and the undeserved grace and love of a holy God really meant for all people, not just for those deemed worthy to receive it. None of us are worthy in ourselves.

Another thing that I really grabbed onto in the story was a statement Corrie Ten Boom had made in regards to her sister's death. She said that "God was good...even when Betsy died." She knew that no matter what our circumstance, no matter what we face, no matter what we lose...God IS ALWAYS good. We don't always understand the reason why things happen as they do, and we don't always have the answers, but one thing never changes...God IS good.

The Ten Boom family offered a safe place for those who feared for their lives, those who had no hope, and seemingly no chance. God used them, as well as others, to make a difference when it seemed all was at an end.

And now, for all of us, no matter who we are or where we're from, God IS our safe place...He is our refuge in time of trouble. He gives us light and leads us when we can't see the path before us. He gives wisdom and peace. There have been many times that I have felt I had nowhere to turn or no one to talk to, no one who could help or understand. But my Lord and Savior is my hiding place, my refuge, my fortress. The enemy can stomp and storm, but my God loves me and holds me tightly in His hands. I have found the best refuge, a place where I am never alone, and it is in His arms.