Modern technology has left me asking more times than not… how did we ever manage before this came along?  A trip to an unknown destination is made much easier by the use of GPS system!  Of course, even the best-planned course can run into errors, snafus, and detours.  Then come those words that bring calm into the confusion, “Recalculating route.”

Life is full of unknown destinations!  When we think we know the route, suddenly, we are presented with a change in course!  Maybe your wrong turn came as a result of a poor choice you made.  Maybe the detour was the fault of someone else’s decision.  Or that abrupt shift was simply the reality of life happening to you.

We’ve all been there.

As we sit at the corner of Upset Street and Wrong Way Boulevard, we throw our hands up in despair!  “What now?!?” we exclaim in agitation and even fear.  This is not how we’d planned it!!  This wasn’t supposed to happen!  God, why did you let this happen?

And with that statement, we hit the very heart of our dilemma.  If God is good… if God is watching over us… why did this happen? 

I’m sorry to say that I have no easy answer to this.  In fact, I think most times there is no easy answer.  We live in a fallen world shaped by the sin, sickness, and the pain of free choice.  God allows that pain to touch our lives during different seasons.  We don’t have to understand God’s ways or the whys in order to choose to trust Him.  It’s a dilemma as old as mankind: Fear vs. Faith.  Will we whine, complain, worry, demand, manipulate, and rage… or will we rest in the faith that God is in control?  Will we tap into the truth that God authentically, deeply, unconditionally loves us?  Will we take comfort in knowing He journeys through the valley with us?

When our Heavenly Father knew you and I in the womb of our mother, when He wove us together in intricate beauty, He knew the route He had laid out for our lives.  He also knew each detour, wrong turn, and pitfall that we would face.  He does not exclaim in shock when you turn left instead of right!  He does not gasp in fear when I ignore a bridge and choose a side road instead.  He does not throw His hands up in terror when someone sideswipes us.  He reaches down in love, wraps us in His arms, and waits… He waits for us to turn to Him with the questions in our eyes.  He waits for us to find our equilibrium.  He waits for us to ask Him, “What now, Daddy?”  Then He assures our hearts with the simple words, “Recalculating Route!”

Nothing takes our Dad by surprise!  He knows what we will encounter and when. God understands the pain, abandonment, loss, and longing.  And He patiently provides us with a re-route when we are ready to trust His plans for us.  I’m convinced that He is trustworthy!  When loss impacts our dreams, He is not lost!  When confusion muddles once clear plans, He is not confused! When failure marks the precious relationships in our lives, He will not fail us!  When we submit our lives… the good, the bad, and the ugly parts to Him… He will cause all of it to come together for our good.  Why?  Because we love Him and He loves us!  (Romans 8:28)  It’s that difficult and that simple.

Dive Deeper: Jeremiah 17:7-8, Genesis 45:3-8

Declaration:  Heavenly Father, You are so faithful, even when I am faithless!  Thank you for being trustworthy!  Forgive me for the times I’ve gone astray and made choices that took me off the route You had planned for me.  Help me to forgive others who have failed me.  I ask You to take all of the failures, hurts, and disappointments… mold them into the plan for good that You have for me!  Even when adversity comes, I pray that I would hear and obey Your voice behind me saying, “This is the way.” (Isaiah 30:19-21)  Thank you, Daddy!  I love You!!

Share your thoughts by clicking on the bubble beside the title!

Live Loved,

Excerpted from “Reflections from the Valley” by Joy Morey