The light turned red, and I came to a sudden stop. There were no other cars in the intersection, but God had purpose for the pause.
I noticed two men, one on each corner, who both appeared to be out for a walk. They too, had been stopped at the intersection. They both had a No Crossing hand telling them (per the timer) that it wasn’t their turn to cross the street even though there were no cars around beside mine.
The man on the right stood patiently and waited for the direction light to change. The man on the left looked up and down the street a few times, saw that the coast was clear, and proceeded to cross the street. He was half way down the street by the time the light changed again signaling it was clear to cross.
This made me think, what would I have done? Would I have stood and waited even though there was nothing in my way and no sign of threat? Or would I have checked to see if the path was clear and moved along, knowing I wasn’t taking an unnecessary risk? What would you have done?
I believe God held time that day to show me an example to consider in my own life. Do I continue moving forward on the trajectory God has set me on? Or do I allow worldly influences to determine the pace at which I move? I’ve marinated on this for awhile now and the answer I’ve come up with is… it depends.
When we receive direction from God, He provides step by step instructions. First this, then that, and all in our perfect timing… that would be amazing, wouldn’t it? While it would check our “need to know” box, it wouldn’t require any faith. We would execute each step per the plan and claim the praise for a job well done. Instead, God wants us to trust that He is directing our steps, has perfect timing, and will protect us as we go. That way, when we get wherever He has us going, the glory belongs to Him, not us.
I wonder what kind of intersection you are currently standing at. Are you being instructed to wait because it’s not time to move yet? Or are you perhaps in a position to keep moving despite what the world may say about it? Which choice requires the most faith?
We are all on a journey together, even if God has given us unique paths, instructions, and time lines. Let’s ask ourselves honestly, am I continuing to walk the path God gave me? Am I waiting at an empty intersection? Or am I choosing to walk in faith and follow Him? I pray we all get the answer we need to continue our journey towards our good and His glory!
Be blessed!
Jennifer
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)