You know how it goes; you’re driving down the road, taking in the scenery when all of the sudden you hear the familiar, computer-generated command… Recalculating!
Sometimes we can zone out and ignore the turn-by-turn directions we are receiving, other times we feel we know a better way to go. Either way, the result is we are suddenly re-routed, and the detour often costs us time and our peace of mind.
How often do we do this in our faith walk? God’s word gives us the directions we need to follow the path God has laid ahead of us. But we get distracted by our surroundings, we tune out the instructions we hear, we chase “something shiny”, and before we know it, we’re off course. The good news is God doesn’t just leave us there – lost and directionally challenged. He gives us another chance by recalculating our path.
Now, don’t get me wrong, God is fully aware of our human condition and propensity to wander away. In fact, it is such a common occurrence we even sing about it, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” (Amazing Grace by John Newton, 1772) God isn’t left scrambling for a Plan B that may work out in the end. He is able to take our mistakes, our missteps, our miscalculations and use them to grow and develop us. Remember the detour I mentioned earlier? God uses the extra mileage, time, and inconvenience to instruct and refine us.
Having our route recalculated can feel like a frustration or an interruption in our day. But what if we chose to see it for the blessing it can be? A recalculation gives a new perspective. It allows us to see new things. We learn a new way of doing things. We spend more time learning and less time hurrying. Sometimes a recalculation will actually make our journey better!
So the next time we hear “Recalculating…” let’s take a deep breath and ask God what He would like us to see. The answer just may surprise us!
Be blessed,
Jennifer
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6