I will show you

The other day I was talking with a travel agent concerning my upcoming trip to Israel.  She recounted several stories of her own travels there and some of the experiences that she had while visiting.  She told me about this one time where she arrived late in the evening and had to take the public transportation to get to her destination.  She started to realize that they were going in the wrong direction.  Fortunately, there were several people there who were bilingual and were able to communicate to the driver where she needed to go.  When she finally got to the street she was supposed to be at, nothing looked familiar despite having stayed at this house multiple times.  She prayed that God would show her signs that were familiar so that she could get to where she needed to be.  After walking for a while, she was able to find her bearing and eventually make it to the house.

Her story reminds me of life in general.  There are so many times where we go through life not sure if we're even on the right bus or going in the right direction.  Even once "arriving" we still aren't sure we're where we are supposed to be.  Right now, I'm in Seminary and I'm set to graduate in December.  Beyond that there are a lot of unknowns that still linger in the back of my head.  Part of me is excited at the prospect of being a full-time pastor, but another part of me is wondering if I'm not meant for some other kind of ministry.  This uncertainty is common especially among those in my generation.  I've heard many twenty-somethings say that they spend much of their time just trying to figure out the right path.  The problem is that we often get so wrapped up in figuring out which way to go that we sit at the crossroads all our lives.  We live paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong decision.  In fact I think we are often much more fearful of picking the wrong thing than we are of failure.

I was reading in Genesis the other day, and I'm always amazed at the story of the calling of Abraham.  It says, "Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1).  Notice the emphasis I placed here.  Abraham doesn't know where he is going!  In fact, there is little in the text that suggests that God even gives him a general direction.  All he has is God's promise that God will show him where to settle.  So Abraham sets out for the complete unknown.  Instead of panicking and being paralyzed by the fear of stepping away from his comfort and what he is used to, he is almost excited about the grand adventure he is about to embark on.  It is unsafe and dangerous and it therefore becomes all the more enticing.  It is this same attitude that we should approach God's promises.  

Many of us stand at a crossroads in our lives. We have this idea that while both paths are great options, one of them is the "right" option and therefore the path we should take.  We debate with ourselves trying to determine which is the best option and can often live doubting we've made the right choice.  While there may be a "right" path for you, it doesn't mean we can't explore a different road in order to determine if it is the right road or not.  We certainly don't always know where God is taking us or even where to go sometimes, but we can be sure of his presence.  We can be sure that he will show us where to go.  Don't allow yourself to be paralyzed by the fear of making the right decision about life.  In my experience, God often lays before us several great options.  We unfortunately look at it as a pop quiz with only one right answer when God's intention is really for us to look at it as a choose your own adventure book, where each option leads to new winding paths where God's glory is proclaimed.  To quote NEEDTOBREATHE, "if you never leave home, never let go, you'll never make it to the great unknown."  I encourage you to take a step into the great unknown, because as you do God will show you where to go.