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Sometimes we find ourselves in a place we hadn’t planned to be. It wasn’t our intention to steer our body or our life in this direction, toward this destination… never expected to occupy this space. And never imagined we’d be wrestling with the foreign thoughts and thunderous emotions accompanying this new experience.

In fact, some of us took great pains to avoid arriving here. We followed the road map and talked to others who traveled before us. And we thought we were on the right path, making progress while enjoying the view.

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Yet somewhere maybe there was a wrong turn, a sign was missed or the map got turned upside down? Or a storm came…

Or maybe this is the nature of the journey? The unintended consequences of fallen humanity, of the first humans trusting their own ability to reason rather than trusting the words of their perfect Father.

And… here we are.

And here we’ll be for a while, it looks like.

Soo… What do we do?

We do the next thing, and we do the right thing. And always good things for those around us. We work, we pray, we beg wisdom, grace, strength, we look to meet others’ needs, we learn, we grow, and we offer the same mercy to those around that we ourselves are in such desperate need of…

In between the desire to scream and cuss and break things, to cast blame and hurl accusations. And to hate.

And then walk away – to be done with the whole rotten mess.

Or I could drive off the cliff, and put an end to this madness.

Because in my weakest human moments the craziest thoughts run through my brain. (Does your brain do that, too?)

But I’m (a little) smart enough to know that none of those options provide real solution. And I’d just have to come back and clean up the mess I made and deal with a problem compounded by my stupid response.

It’s also in those frailest moments, when the Holy Spirit whispers Peace and Rest, wrapping His eternal arms around those who choose to cling to Truth… His Grace washing over and lifting the struggling one out of despair, on wings of Hope toward a place called Redemption.

And we can resist the craziest – stupidest – temptations, and keep trusting. Soaking up all the good He has planned for another of life’s unexpected detours.

Yielding to His omniscience and bowing in worship.

It’s a complete mystery how God accomplishes His eternal purposes, how He ministers to His children and orchestrates the events of history, even using our sins and shortcomings – which He would not permit  if He did not know how to bring good out of them.

But I wouldn’t want it any other way.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.  –  Isaiah 40:31

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