Jeremiah 31: 21 "Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns." (NIV)
"You follow that road for a couple of blocks and turn right. It is the first right turn, there will be a church on the corner. Then you are looking for..." These are directions I might give for someone to find my place. I would know which direction they were arriving from and could guide them based on that. When I plan a vacation, I study maps and make a plan for what I want to see and the best way to get to the landmarks, galleries and stores. Then I watch for road signs once I am there so that I don't miss what I want to see.
My life journey has a number of landmarks or highlights. There is the moment I made the personal choice to follow Jesus. There is high school graduation, my wedding, university convocation, the birth of two daughters, and more. Each of these altered the course of my life. However, if I only mark these on a map, it might be like saying "from the Empire State Building, go north to the parliament building in Ottawa, go west, stop by the Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, then head northwest to Saskatoon to the University of Saskatchewan." It points out landmarks but, unless you are flying, does not help you get from one place to another.
Put up road signs and guideposts. The more places I notice God's hand at work, the easier it is to return when I start to wander. By making notes in a journal and, at times, adding dates in my bible margins so I can go back to those journals notes about how God talked to me at that time, I have a road map that leads away from anxiety about so many things. There is the time that a job offer came the same week as a layoff notice -- a reminder of God's provision. God has shown up in our finances, our health, our relationships, and more. He always shows up because he is always here.
But we wander.
Those road signs, those markers of his faithfulness, they point us back to God, back to a relationship with the only one who can satisfy. I want my life to be defined by a seeking to grow in that relationship.
Dear Lorilee, I couldn't agree more how helpful it is that's there are lots of landmarks along the way. For me, the more detailed the map, the better. (Needed for earthly and spiritual journeys.) Journaling is a wonderful way to note and remember all the grace markers God gives us.
ReplyDeleteAmen to these words of yours: The more places I notice God's hand at work, the easier it is to return when I start to wander.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
Thanks for this insight Lorilee! Many blessings
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story, Lorilee. I loved your description: "The more places I notice God's hand at work, the easier it is to return when I start to wander," and that journalling and marking dates in your Bible gives you a roadmap. A great metaphor!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this reminder, Lorilee. How right you are in saying that we wander and need to retrace our steps to where our journey jumped the tracks. Wonderful post.
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