Walking -- One Foot in Front of the Other

(Begun a week ago)

Well, the season of shipping has come and gone, at least from a package handlers point of view. There was a definite increase in the workflow, though some days were heavier than others. One good thing; more work means more hours. More hours means bigger paychecks. Bigger paychecks means not much, as it seems that the evaporation process impacts both large and small checks, especially with everyone home around the holiday season.

And so here we stand at the conclusion of another year. How ever did we get here? Quite simply, by putting one foot in front of the other. One day follows the other [one box follows the previous -- or on shoe day, 500 follow the previous]. On to serious thoughts.

So often we pray and ask (1) God to guide us and/or (2) God to be with us or someone else. Stop and think for a moment. Is our issue God's guiding or our following? Is the problem that He is not with us or that we live as if we are independent from him. Of course He guides us and He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. As we live day after day, we can rest assured that our great God is with us, guiding us all of the way.

David Jeremiah wrote a book titled, "A Bend in the Road" about navigating life when life doesn't go according to plan. It may be that we experience a life-changing event that we cannot understand or explain, but we can rest assured that God is there and that He will guide us even when we cannot see around the corner. Whether in good times or bad; whether life is according to plan or off course, our Heavenly Father is there with us to aid us, indeed to do even more than that. He delights in meeting our needs and in caring for us.

We live one day after another. Each day is a unit unto itself, and yet each day is part of a longer period of time. And then, each day is one small part of a life. The decisions made in a day impact not only that day, but the week, month, year, and life. That is why waiting on God is so important. We cannot see around the bend in the road, but God knows the beginning of our journey, our present location on the journey, and our final destination. Even when our destination is not where we had intended. Health issues, financial difficulties, relationship concerns, vocational problems -- any or all of these can throw a life "off course." How we handle life when that happens is of great importance. If God is present and he is guiding, are we willing to trust him and follow him even when we do not understand? We have a great and wonderful God and there is not one part of life with which he is not interested. He is not concerned with detachment, nor will he micromanage our lives. He cares and assists, but he allows us to navigate life. Life is full of twists and turns, some of which lead to what we view as positive outcomes and some which do not. And yet, we know that all things work together for good when we follow his leading.

As we end one year and begin another, let each of us commit to follow the leading of God and trust him through the challenges of life.