We got to spend a few days at the beach over Spring break! I heart the beach! The morning we left, I said a sad goodbye to Jake and Alijah, and a sadder goodbye to the beach (I’m just joking). I told Tom to drive because I wanted to nap. I decided I’d nap after the toll road, because that would be the last ocean sighting. But then I remembered Mobile would be the actual last sights of my beloved ocean, so I decided to nap after Mobile.
We were traveling just fine. We were getting close to Mobile when our computer navigation guy told us to take the next exit. Wait? What? That was not the way. Traffic was moving just fine. As we continued to drive toward the exit, we debated whether we should take the exit or stay on our course, you know, so I could see the ocean one last time. There was no traffic. Was computer guy just having a glitch? Or did he really know what he was talking about? Right before the exit, computer guy said, “Take the exit.” He said it just like that – “Take the exit.” In the end we took the exit. At first, it seemed we made a mistake trusting computer guy. It seemed we were going in the wrong direction. But after a few minutes we became parallel to the Mobile bridge. Then we saw it! Traffic! Bumper to bumper traffic. Traffic that was not moving. The entire length of the bridge. Whew! We were so glad we listened to computer guy! And you know what? I still got to say goodbye to the ocean at Mobile.
Tom and I were both struck how that was just like life!
We live our lives. We make our plans. We pretty much know our course – give or take. But then God says, “Take the exit.” We are detoured. We are delayed. We are led down a different path. Wait? What? Why? That’s not the way God. Why would we go that way? Do you really know what you’re talking about? I wanted to say goodbye to the ocean, God!
Most times it’s hard to take the exit! It’s hard to listen and obey! If we could always see the backed up traffic over the entire bridge, then sure! We would take that exit every single time! But the fact of this life is, we don’t always see it. We don’t see the traffic jams! We don’t see the crash ahead. We don’t see the reason to take the exit!
I read a book over the beach trip called the Case for Christ. The book is about Lee Strobel who was an atheist in pursuit of finding out if Jesus was really God. He interviewed many scholars and asked many questions. I was impressed at the end of the book by one of the interviewed scholar’s statements. “He was quiet for a moment, then continued. You know it’s ironic. The Bible considers it praiseworthy to have a faith that does not require evidence. Remember how Jesus replied to doubting Thomas, ‘you believe because you see; blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.'”
That nice, tidy, little saying, “Live by faith and not by sight” is not easy! Having assurance about things we do not see can seem impossible!
Jesus take the wheel! Take it from my hands! Because that’s the only way I’m gonna take that exit! It may be a few minutes down that road or after a lifetime of travel, but some day, I believe we will see it! The reasons. God’s hand. We will understand the exits and even be glad for them!