Off-Roading in 4WD

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

~ Proverbs 3:12

I am off the path a bit, the path of God's best plan. 

If it was just a matter of sinning, it would be so much simpler. If I was drunk (not that I ever would be), I could ask for forgiveness and stop getting drunk. If I'd been gossiping, I could repent and keep my mouth shut. But sometimes life brings us to a fork, and once we've chosen one side or the other, we have to follow it to its end, whether it was the right one or not.

God tried to tell me ahead of time, He really did. He knew what was going to happen, and what I should do.

I've mentioned The Little Voice on my main blog before. It's the quiet prompting of the Spirit in my heart, that I often realize only in retrospect was God trying to get my attention. Once you get a little practice listening to, recognizing, and obeying The Little Voice, God may decide you're ready for a larger test.

It isn't possible to share the details of what occurred. Too many of them aren't mine to make public. I will say that God spoke even more forcefully than usual, through my dear Christian sister-in-law. She said something I'll never forget, that there are good things and God things, and they aren't always the same things. And, faced with a choice between a good thing and a God thing, here I am, bumping along the path of the good thing that God said no to doing. 

Anyone who lives a Godly life will have trials, and in them will also find such joy and peace, because God is with us when He allows tests to come our way. Trials of our own making are much different. The good news is He doesn't abandon us, even when our wrong choices leave us blundering around outside His will. And, though I don't know what bumps are left, or what it will take, I know I'll end up back on the right road again.

In fact, Wednesday I had a startling realization during my prayer time. Even though my current situation wasn't God's best plan, since I'm here, I can start right now, this very second, and step back into His will. There will still be consequences to face, and I'm sure that more than once He'll have to kick on the heavenly 4WD to get me over a hurdle, but I can be where He wants again from this point in time. 

What does He want me to do? I thought about that a lot. Keep studying, keep praying, both for myself and for the others on my prayer list, and keep writing. And start listening a bit better. Ok, a whole lot better. 

No clue how long it will take, but I believe this path will wind around to the right one eventually, as long as I follow the above directions. In the meantime, I have a job to do. Study, pray, write, and listen. That'll keep me busy till I jounce and bounce my way back onto the path of God's will. There will still be bumps, dips, and obstacles, but it's still so much easier and more peaceful than.......

off-roading in 4WD.