Where God leads me...

Well, its been quite a long time since my last post. Maybe I ran out of things to say. Maybe I just got busy. Maybe I just forgot.
If you're reading this blog, my guess is that we're friends on facebook, so I'll let you get picture updates on Addison and other important events like that on there. To try and get back into the habit of posting on here, I figured I'd skip the "update" part and just jump right in to sharing some thoughts that I've felt God teaching me over the last few months.

I've been reading a couple of books that have been really good - Crazy Love & Forgotten God, both by Francis Chan. I've also had a few experiences that I won't go in to on here, but basically, with the books and these experiences, I've felt the "need" & desire to know what it is God has planned for me. In life, in ministry, in my family, in all areas, really. And I've talked with many other people that feel the same way. And just when I think I've figured out what it is that God has in store for me, of course, He shows me that I don't really know anything.

I've asked God to show me what His plan is, and I've tried to just trust Him and take whatever answer He gives. But most of the time, I'm expecting something like a road map, and if not the whole map, at least a good-sized section of the map. And then I get frustrated when He doesn't show me what I want. Last week, I was taking a drive through the mountains, enjoying the colors of the changing leaves on the Aspen trees, and I began to see what I think is God's answer to those prayers when I ask Him to show me what's coming next.I always picture in my mind, that God is going to show me an aerial view, where I can see the turns and what's coming ahead. Or if I'm picturing the road itself, I'm wanting to see a long stretch of road, and honestly wanting it to be a pretty straight stretch of road. But I think that this picture shows more accurately what God shows us. Not even a quarter-mile of road, right before a big turn where you can't see anything else. You know the road goes on, you can even see some really cool things far off in the distance...but as far as the road itself, God only shows me what I need to see for right now. As the turn gets closer, He'll let me see what I need to at that point. But for now, I just need to enjoy the view and quit worrying about what's around the corner.

As I said, I've got many friends who I know have asked the same thing of God, to show us the path laid out before us so we can know His plan. One of the things the books I've been reading have reinforced to me is that God wants me to trust Him with TODAY, not just my LIFE. Because if I can't trust him for the things that are happening right now, how can He expect me to really trust Him (and how can I expect myself to be able to) with the whole trip, if I can't simply trust Him with the short stretch of road I'm on right now?

Maybe you're one of my friends who can relate to this, and if so, I hope this thought can help you. If not, maybe you can just enjoy the view in the picture.

I'm just sayin'...