When Life is Like I-69

Last weekend, I drove my family down to Fort Wayne, Indiana so I could attend a reunion of teammates from my summer trip.  We'd been planning the reunion for several weeks and I couldn't wait to get there!  

What I didn't realize was that the route we took would change my perspective on life.

My mom navigated from the passenger seat, and she instructed me to take I-69 all the way to Fort Wayne.  To the untrained eye, taking I-69 does not seem like the best way (the quickest or most convenient) to get from eastern Michigan to northern Indiana.  She assured me from the start, however, that taking I-69 would be the smoothest, least complicated, and most direct way to get to our destination.

Trusting her judgment, since she's made the trip many more times than I have, I began to drive.  It wasn't long, however, before the irony began to set in.  To get to I-69, we had to drive north -- the complete opposite direction of where we wanted to go.  And once we merged onto I-69, we had to drive west!  

Again, I trusted my mom's judgment, but I couldn't help feeling tense as we drove westward, hour after hour, seemingly getting nowhere close to Fort Wayne.  It felt like a waste of time.  If we needed to go south, why did we have to go west?  Would the road ever turn south?  

Mom assured me it would.  Once we arrived in Lansing, she said, I-69 would curve around the city and we would begin to head south toward Fort Wayne.  Sure enough, about two hours into our trip, I-69 curved around Lansing and we were finally heading in the direction we had been wanting to go!  

My mind was very busy as I drove south for the next few hours.  

Life is often like I-69.  In our lives, we often have a deep desire to go a certain "direction", or to get to a certain "destination", but the route from A to B -- when taken on God's terms -- can defy rationality.  Why would God ask you to head the opposite direction?  And once you made the transition to the "route" He has planned for you, why would He set the course westward?  You're running parallel to the destination.  You are no closer to Point B than you were before!

Or so you thought.

See, my mom chose I-69 because it was the smoothest, least complicated, and most direct way to our destination.  She could have chosen the more common route, which was riddled with changing interstates, heavy traffic congestion, construction, and the stress that comes with navigating through large cities.  She chose I-69 because it was easier and more peaceful, (which she knew would benefit me because I'd never driven to Fort Wayne before). 
All along, we merely stayed the course.  We didn't have to change interstates or drive through congested cities.  We let I-69 take us all the way to our destination.

This is a beautiful picture of how God guides us.  He may lead us onto a road that makes absolutely no sense.  It may be frustrating.  It may lead us into a season of spiritual drought or silence.  It may feel lonely, like a desert.  We're heading west when all we want is to head south! We may begin to doubt God's logic -- which can spiral into doubting His goodness, His character, and His love.  

The world, the flesh, and the devil will tell you that while you're heading west, you are no closer to Point B than you were before.  All the angst, blind faith, and trust in the dark -- it's all a waste. 
But that's wrong.  You are much closer to Point B than you could ever dream!  It may not feel like it now, but if you truly trust God's heart toward you, you will see that the route He's chosen will take you directly to where He wants you to be.  

God's Point B may not be your Point B.  As I drove westward toward Lansing, I drew a comparison of the route to my own life since returning from my trip this summer.  I had to admit to myself that God's Point B might be drastically different than mine, and that He has made no promise to take me to my Point B.  All He has promised is that this road I travel (with my hand in His) will take me directly to where He wants me, wherever that may be. 
With this in mind, the road may keep going west!  It may turn north again, or it may even head back east.  Walk the road by faith and let Him decide which way the path will curve.  It may indeed take the turn you hope for and begin heading in the direction you desire! 

Remember why my mom chose I-69.  She knew that I had never gone this way before and wanted to take me the safest and least complicated way.  She chose I-69 out of compassion and love for me.
When God takes you a route you don't understand, remember that everything He does is motivated out of compassion and love for you!  Everything He gives, everything He takes away, everything He allows, and everything He doesn't allow are all colored by His faithfulness, His compassion, His protection, His mercy, and His LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
  
While you are on your own I-69, traveling a path you don't understand, striving toward a goal you cannot see, cupping your empty hands, trying to figure out how to hope . . . may I suggest a new prayer to pray?  It is just seven words long, but those seven little words can change your life forever. 

"Father, align my heart with Your will."  

Welcome to I-69!  Trust your Navigator.  Keep driving. 

Brilliant Master Storyweaver

How do you even begin to describe the glory of the all-glorious God?  How do you even explain when His glory (His love, His faithfulness, His compassion, His sovereignty) becomes everything to you?  

How do you explain what it's like for God to explode into your life and turn your world upside down?  How do you express what it's like to be completely changed?  To have a new identity?  To be marked forever?

"How was your trip?" is something I hear often now.  What can I say?  

Lifechanging.

One of my dear friends asked me that very question a few evenings ago, and I found myself almost at a loss for words.  How could I describe it??  "I am a different person," I replied.
She smiled at me.  "I can tell.  I hear it in your voice."

In the past I have struggled with letting God be the Author of my life.  I have feared trusting Him because my path thus far hasn't made a lot of sense to me.  I thought I could write a better story, one with much less pain and many fewer trials.  Now, as God is bringing me through seasons of healing and redemption, I can look back and say:

"O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." -Isaiah 25:1

I recognize that if I were in control, my life would look much different.  It might be less complicated, absolutely.  But it would not be abundant.  If I were in control, my life would be safe and easy.  But I would not be alive.  

When I was younger, I prayed that God would give me a life worth writing about, a story worth telling.  Now I see that my life is His story, and it is definitely worth telling.  He is the main character, and I am a supporting actress.  My ultimate goal in life is to glorify God, whatever that looks like.  However, wherever, whenever.  

And what a story He is writing.  It is not devoid of problems.  It is not devoid of pain.  It is not devoid of frustration or complications or impossibilities.  
But neither is it devoid of miracles.  It is filled with promises and hope and faithfulness.  What a God we serve!

He is the brilliant Master Storyweaver, interlacing threads of life both painful and beautiful to create a tapestry that reflects His love and glory!  

What a beautiful robe to wear.  

Ashton

I've been reading through Frank Peretti's novel This Present Darkness for a couple weeks now, often late into the night -- which really isn't smart because that book is not conducive to sleep!  It's been opening my eyes to what could very well be going on in the spirit realm, and it's both exciting and mind blowing.  I hadn't realized before how powerful the prayers of the Remnant (i.e., true followers of Jesus Christ) could potentially be in influencing what goes on in the spiritual realm!   

Peretti published this book back in 1986, but his depiction of the fictional town of Ashton eerily resembles . . . the current state of this entire country.  Wouldn't you agree?  Just look around.  Look at your generation.  Look at my generation!  Look at families, look at society -- abominations occur every single day because people choose to avert their eyes and let it slide.  Evil has infiltrated and been absorbed by our country, playing out devastating effects on people from pre-birth to 100 years old.  It doesn't take a lot of imagination to recognize that Satan is having a heyday with the United States of America.  

I've felt helpless against this for so long.  But a few days ago, I read something that shifted my perspective and showed me that I can change this.  We can change this.

2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 

Let me dissect this verse to show you what I'm seeing.  

"My people, who are called by My name" clearly refers to us (the Remnant), if not only to the original context (the nation of Israel).

Apparently, we as God's people have the opportunity and the responsibility to petition God for the healing of our country, something He promises to actually do!  But there's a catch!  According to the rest of this verse, four things have to happen inside us first: 

1. We must humble ourselves
2. We must pray
3. We must seek His face
4. We must turn from our wicked ways

If you're skeptical at this point, don't worry; I was too.  Does God really heal a wicked land when the Church (I'm referring to the Remnant, not a denomination or a building) prays for its healing?  

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." -Jeremiah 29:7

This seems to indicate that we should pray on behalf of a wicked nation because there will be direct results from those prayers!  The exciting thing is that God is stirring up the Remnant to pray for this country -- just like in This Present Darkness -- and that just tells me that something big IS going on here, and we can't ignore those urges to pray and cry out to God for healing and repentance.

Okay . . . but what if I were the only one in the world praying?  Would my prayers really be heard and answered?  The prayers of one person can seem so insignificant . . . . 

Let me show you something that's just so precious to me.  As I was struggling with feelings of "prayer inadequacy syndrome," God led me to Daniel chapters 9-10.  Daniel, who was a captive in Babylon during this time, was burdened for his native land, since Jerusalem has long been seized by the Chaldeans.  He saw all the wickedness going on and pleaded with God, all by himself, for the redemption of his people (Daniel 9:4-19).  Daniel hadn't even finished his prayer before God sent Gabriel to give Daniel understanding (v. 20-27)!  Two years later, Daniel was given a prophetic word, and it troubled him so much that he mourned for three weeks.  During that mourning time, Daniel saw a vision of a "terrifying man" who came to explain what was yet to happen to the people.  

Here's what I saw in these two chapters.  Both Gabriel (in Dan. 9:22) and the "terrifying man" (in Dan. 10:11, 19) made a point to tell Daniel that he was greatly loved.  How precious is that?  Daniel was just praying all by himself, and God took such pleasure in his sincere (but solitary) prayers that He sent two messengers not only to answer Daniel, but also to tell him how greatly he was loved.  

My point is, even if you were the only one on Earth praying for your nation, God wouldn't see that as insignificant.      

So, think about it.  In Matthew 18:19-20, Jesus says, " 'Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  for where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.' "  

Reading This Present Darkness has shown me that we do actually have the authority to fight Satan -- and win -- in Jesus' name!  Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!  This country was dedicated to God at its birth!

As a young Christ-follower, I'm deciding to take a stand and tell Satan NO!  He cannot have my country!  If necessary I will stand alone, unafraid.  I'm not afraid of Satan!  I'm now calling to you.  Will you stand with me against Satan and his demons, and pray for God to send down warrior angels to fight for this country?  Will you beg God to stir up the Remnant to pray, to stand up, to lead, to speak?  Will you beg God to bring this nation to its knees in repentance?  To bring revival?  To bring healing? 

Do you believe that we can change America -- our very own Ashton?

I do.