It’s been said that life is like driving down a road at night. That’s what I was thinking as I was driving home last night, seeing that white line stretching out in front of me. I suddenly realized that I was both absolutely certain & completely clueless, at the same time, about my drive, and about my life.
I realized that when I’m driving at night, I’m ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN about what I need to do RIGHT NOW, in the moment. That white line tells me whether I need to veer right, veer left, or keep it straight. A red light ahead tells me to stop; a green light tells me to go. As long as I keep my headlights on, the guidance I need for the present moment will always be there.
That’s just like my life. In my moment to moment living, I have “headlights” that infallibly guide me. As long as I’m walking in step with God, listening to Him, being mindful of myself, my circumstances, & others, I can be confident that I will know what to do RIGHT NOW, in the moment. God won’t fail me. He never has.
I also thought of the Biblical story of Joseph. Throughout his life, he was always guided as to what he needed to say & do at the right moment: he knew he had to refuse his master’s wife; he knew what to say to the imprisoned butler & baker; he knew how to save Egypt from starvation.
But even though I’m absolutely certain about driving in the present moment, I’m also COMPLETELY CLUELESS about WHAT LIES AHEAD. If you ask me if the road will head northeast or southeast, whether in the next mile I’ll go up a mountain or go across a bridge, whether there’s a lake up ahead or a desert— I’m (literally) in the dark. I’ve never traveled this road before.
Isn’t life like that too? I’ve never traveled the road of my life before, so I don’t know what lies ahead. I don’t know whether my job will prosper or end; don’t know whether I’ll live to 100 or die while typing this post; don’t know what joys or sorrows, victories or defeats I will face tomorrow. And guess what? If I try too hard to control my destiny, to make sure my life doesn’t take a sharp turn or go into a dark tunnel, I’m liable to run off the road completely.
The same was true of Joseph. Even though he saw visions and interpreted dreams, he never saw his own brothers trying to murder him, never saw being sold as a slave in a foreign country, never saw spending years in a prison. But he also never envisioned being the regent of the richest country in his world, having wealth and power beyond his comprehension, and being responsible for not only saving his family, but an entire country, from starvation.
That’s where faith comes in, for Joseph and for me. When I’m driving an unfamiliar road at night, I may be clueless about what’s around the bend, but I remain confident that I will reach my destination. I know the road was built to take me there, and I know I can trust my map.
Life’s the same way. I know that the path that God has lovingly chosen for me will succeed. Although there is much about it I can’t understand right now, and I’m completely clueless about what’s around the bend, I know that my final destination is secure, and that it ends with the One who loves me more than I can possibly imagine.
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Well said! It can be hard to walk in faith when we don’t know what’s around the next bend (though, that’s what faith’s all about) and yet knowing the end result of our life on this Earth is the one thing we DO know. God will always take care of us and as you said, loves us more than we will ever know.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Eric
Great post. I wrote something in a similar vein a couple of weeks ago, about how we don’t need to worry about getting from A to M, just from A to B, then B to C, and allowing God to mature us along the road so we’ll be ready for M when we get there.
Great post. And perfectly timely for me. Thanks!
Very aptly put! reminds of the following quote:-
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:’Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’
– Minnie Louise Haskins(1875-157)
(Desert,1908 ‘God Knows’)
Almost a year later, I’ve been led to your blog after a friend searched for jellybean pictures
What a wonderful message you shared with the world and a new fresh way to look at our everyday lives and choices. As it’s said in Spanish, “El hombre propone, y Dios dispone” … Man proposes, God disposes. God Bless.