Isn’t it funny how when a message is trying to get through, it seems like things come at you from different angles and from strange places.
It all started with Timm’s messages on Cross Roads. How the choices we make, even the ones that seem to be very small, really do determine where we wind up in life. Add this to the fact that our small group is doing the Andy Stanley study Destinations which is about the Path Principle. This is about how our destination not our intentions, determine our destination. Seeing a pattern yet? It gets better.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have heard little things that have jumped out at me. Things that other people may not have given the time of day. But to me they have had a double meaning or have really stuck out.
- It’s a slow climb up but a fast fall down. This was a comment on the news. They were talking about our economy, but it hit me differently. I said out loud to myself. “Economy, heck that’s true in everything.” Then I thought, yeah that’s right. It really is. You don’t notice the climb to where you are going, but you sure notice the fall.
- People never crumble in a day, it’s a slow fade. From the Casting Crown’s song Slow Fade. I really like this song; it has so many good lessons. But this line really hit me the other day. Again, how true is this? More often than not, it’s not an epic event that leads to a person’s collapse it’s a slow meticulous process. One bad decision after the next or one bad decision that leads to a path that leads to the fall.
So, here I am getting all these messages about paths and destinations and utter ruin, and I am thinking uh oh. Am I headed for something? Is that what this is all about? Have I made some huge bad choice and God is trying to tell me to make a U-turn? I don’t think so. I think it’s a wakeup call, a reminder. Something to cause reflection on my life. Is there something going on that needs to be changed that isn’t getting me where I need and want to be headed. There are things if my life I really would like to change and basically this is my wakeup call to get back on the wagon and get going.
Even, the answer to this situation came from interesting places.
- Andy Stanley gave us this verse in our last study group lesson. He gave us the NIV version but I am going to give you the Message version because I think it really drives home his point. I am putting this on my refrigerator and on my desk at work, just as a reminder for myself everyday to check my path: Prov. 27:12 A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.
- Prayer- when life gets too hard to stand…kneel. I saw this plaque in a store. Enough said.
I am making some changes in my path to change my destination. My walk is grounded in my faith, so we aren’t talking about any major changes to outsiders. These are things I personally want to accomplish. Things I have started and then stopped or just never started.
But, I am keeping my eyes open for what may lay ahead on the path. I am prepared to duck!
Good post!
Too many times we are too proud to duck!