You Can Get There From Here
You know the old saying, “You can’t get there from here!” It usually surfaces this time of year when road construction produces a spate of orange barrels and detour signs that prevent us from taking our normal route to work, school, or anywhere else that we might be traveling.
I found myself in that situation last week as I made my way to the church. It’s a route I take every day without thinking about it, but when I reached the intersection of Bowman Street and Mechanicsburg Road, I found that I could not turn right — the road was closed because of construction. This forced me to continue straight and make a right turn at East of Chicago Pizza. It wasn’t much of a detour, just a minor inconvenience, but it made me to think about the other obstacles and detours we face, not on the roadways, but in life itself.
Detours are irritating because they interrupt our natural flow and often cause us to lose time that we could have spent in a more productive way, but we’ve come to recognize them as a part of life. As we know, doors of opportunity open and close quickly, often without any advanced notice. Likewise, crossroads and intersections lurk around every corner.
Regardless of the situation or the magnitude of the decision, it is prudent for us to spend at least a moment or two in prayer, asking God to provide guidance. His will for us is to follow the pathway to righteousness, but very often we chose to take another route, even when we know that danger may lie in wait. Other times, through no fault of our own, we have to take a different path. Sometimes the result is annoying or even unpleasant, but other times, we discover something new and different that we would not have experienced otherwise.
Life is full of surprises — some enjoyable, others distasteful. Sometimes we choose the right path; sometimes we don’t. But when it comes to our faith, specifically our salvation, the rationale for our most important decision comes from the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, Verse 6, where Jesus tells his disciples that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” We simply cannot reach our ultimate desired destination except through Him. Regardless of the circumstances, it is always in our best interest to follow Him.
Good works, righteousness, obedience, and the like are all important aspects of our faith journey, but the only way to reach the Father’s Heavenly Kingdom is through Jesus. Scripture is very clear about that.
So as we make our way around construction sites, or as we encounter difficult decisions in our life, let us not be discouraged by the orange construction barrels and detour signs — be they literal or figurative. Instead, let us use that opportunity to take time to reflect on our faith and offer a prayer to God, asking Him to guide and protect us wherever we go. Even in the most daunting of circumstances, through Him, we can — and we will — get there from here!
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John