Depending on the time of day I leave, my drive to work will involve a lot of automobiles heading in the same direction. Unfortunately, one stoplight can be a bottleneck when all those vehicles converge simultaneously.
The other morning, this type of event occurred. There I was, making my way into the office, and there they were, going to their desired destinations—all of us, on the same arterial road; all of us going in the same direction.
Only this time, I had a massive truck in front of me, blocking my view down the road. There he was with an unobstructed vista–able to see the route ahead. There I was with an obstructed view–unable to see what lay ahead. There we all were, bottlenecking at the same stoplight. What was once a smooth path turned into traffic, now stop and go…bumper to bumper.
Several thoughts hit me as I was straining to see around this 18-wheeler. It went something like this…
- I had a purpose for my travel–I was heading to work.
- I had an expectation for when I should arrive–I teach a class that starts at a definite time in the morning, so being late is not an option.
- Others were on my same path–each person in a vehicle congregated on this road as they headed toward their destinations.
- I couldn’t see anything in front of me because of an obstacle–a massive 18-wheeler obstructed my long-range view.
- Nevertheless, although slowly, I knew we were moving toward my intended destination–so I could still see, albeit only a little bit in front of me.
To sum up, while I couldn’t see as far down the road as I wanted, I could still see enough to stay safe, proceed forward, and ultimately reach my destination.
Therefore, two things had to be accepted:
- I could not control how far down the road I could see.
- However, I was in control of how I would respond with the little I could see in front of me.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- Life often presents unexpected challenges that obstruct our ability to see as far as we desire (plans, dreams, hopes, etc.).
- However, the inability to see down the road of life doesn’t hinder us from being faithful to the little we can see.
- Therefore, when the unexpected occurs, the follower of Christ stays faithful as God moves the obstacle(s) or moves you.
This is what the Lord says, the one who made a road through the sea, a pathway through the surging waters, the one who led chariots and horses to destruction, together with a mighty army. They fell down, never to rise again; they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick: “Don’t remember these earlier events; don’t recall these former events. Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the wilderness and paths in the wastelands.
Isaiah 43:16-19 (NET)
— March 1, 2023