I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The dogs could hardly wait for me to attach their leashes, Gracie, my black morkie, scolded me with her constant yipping. I wasn’t moving fast enough with the leash for her, the issue was I couldn’t go any faster because she would not sit still in her excitement and my rule is she must settle and sit before we take off. Tiquito ,the younger but wiser white chihuahua, sat patiently and rolled his eyes at his hyper sister. When Gracie finally sat her cute black butt on the ground, I was able to get the leash securely snapped on and I had a decision to make. I was up in mountains just north of our home and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law had graciously offered us their mountain home for a weekend getaway at the end of a long hot summer. I stood at the end of their driveway and had to decide whether I was going left, or right? You see we had been there many times before and I was not a stranger to the cute neighborhood, but for some reason I always went left out of the driveway. It might have to do with the fact that I am left-handed regardless, this day I went right.
We walked past the neighboring cabins with Gracie and Tiquito, smelling and marking their way. As I continued to walk my “new” path I allowed my mind to wander and wonder. I was in the middle of making a life changing decision. I had told myself and others I did not think I would ever return to vocational ministry as the last 25yrs had been full of ups and downs and I was ready to just sit on my back porch and hang out with Jesus and a few of my selected friends.
A new opportunity had come about at the church my husband and I had been attending. I had been happy to sit on the back row to enjoy the worship and the teaching. I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, which strangely sounded like the voice of my husband, say it was time to get off the bench I had parked myself on. He spoke words that shook my heart. “It is time to get back to what you love. To who you know you are. Caring for and pastoring people. Building His church." I did not think I was ready, and this was way too soon. After some wise counsel, I realized it was indeed time to get off the back porch couch and allow God to open doors. The only way He could open them was to allow Him to go before me.
I continued to allow the dogs to just lead me pretty much where they wanted to go on the walk, their tangled leashes pulling me in the direction of their desire. Now don’t call the “Dog Whisperer” on me, I know I am the one in charge but this day I truly did not want to be in charge of anything or anyone, including my dogs. As they sniffed and pulled their way, I looked up to see a path I had never seen before, and it led directly into a huge open space into the woods. I found myself in the national forest in all of its beauty with trails leading to unexplored pathways in the towering pines. The carpet of yellow and white flowers grew in raucous array. The pines tall, their scent assaulting my nose. Immediately I knew this was the road I had to take. My dogs and I took that road and as I left the neighborhood, I felt the weight I had been carrying fall off my shoulders. I knew even though I was scared of making a wrong decision, God would open my path to a wide and spacious place.
His love broke open the way, and he brought me into a beautiful, broad place. He rescued me—because his delight is in me! Psalms 18:19 TPT
The one small decision that morning to go right instead of left, so simple, but God in his unfailing love and mercy used even one small step in a different direction to order my steps. I decided that morning I would keep trusting God. I would walk through open doors and believe they would bring me into a new open space. I said yes to the opportunity to step back into a role where I could be the conduit of Jesus love, care, and compassion to those I found along this new path.
I am not sure what decision you are facing but God does. Maybe today he is not asking to do anything other than go right when you have been going left for so long. As a wise woman once said to me DSD…do something different. If what you have been doing or not doing is not working maybe it is time to go right and make your Monday matter. His love always breaks open the way. He is there to rescue you even if you should have gone right when you went left.
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