The Unexpected Path

If you are like me, at some point in your life you have taken a road that had some unexpected results. Sometimes the results of the road previously not taken are unbelievably marvelous. Sometimes the results of that road are excruciatingly disastrous. However, I think most of the time the results fall somewhere in the middle. I experienced something like that a few years ago.

Some friends of mine and I were  on a road trip together for a youth rally in Dallas. As we were leaving the hotel we noticed on the GPS that there was road work ahead so we followed the directions on the GPS instead of following the traffic. What we found was the device that is supposed to guide us only led us astray. The problem was that we could not get back on the right path immediately due to road blocks from the construction. We circled a few times trying to re-enter the Interstate. Each time the route we chose would not allow us back on the road we needed to take. We finally found an alternate route and made our way back home. It ran us a little late returning but it became rather comical for those of us who weren't driving. I'm not sure the driver at the time was very amused.

My guess is that you have found yourself in similar circumstances. Not just on the highway but with choices you made in your personal life as well. So what do we do when the road is different than how we planned? What do we do when life throws the unexpected at us?

LISTEN
When things get crazy listen to the voices. No, not the ones in your head. Listen to those around you. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our world that we cannot clearly see the dangers that lie ahead of us. In our circumstance in Dallas none of us could see more than a quarter of a mile so it was hard to see what roads connected and what didn't. Someone finally turned a different GPS on and found a route around the sticky spot in the road. When we started following their directions we finally got back on track. God gave us each other for a reason. We were never meant to traverse this globe alone. So listen to the voices of reason. Sometimes those are in the form of other humans living around you. Sometimes it is the voice of men and women who lived hundreds or thousands of years before you. I find much comfort and strength in what I read in the Bible.

LAUGH
Quit taking yourself so seriously. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. Sometimes you need to let others laugh at you. It breaks the tension. It loosens the mood. And honestly, it just tends to help you get through difficult times. Several thousand years ago someone wrote, "a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). So when you take a wrong turn--and you will take some wrong turns, don't be too proud to laugh. Someone else lost on that road may gain some strength from your smile and your attitude.

LEARN
Take inventory of your surrounding. How did I get here? What decisions did I make that I need to avoid the next time around. You are all familiar with the definition of insanity. If doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity then refuse to do the same thing over and over again. Find a way to avoid the vicious cycle. Sometimes that is just a small change. If you are familiar with shooting you know that if a gun is off by a few inches at 20 yards, it will be off by feet in a few hundred yards. Learn from your mistakes and make the changes necessary.

LIVE
Don't let one bad choice or one bad event shut down your life. Failing a test doesn't make you a failure. Losing a game doesn't make you a loser. Being rejected doesn't make you worthless. Choose to live life to the fullest whether your path turned out the way you planned for it to or not. I know some people in my life who have been down some treacherous roads and they chose to continue to live life to the fullest anyway. They have turned terrible situations into wonderful opportunities to grow and help others. On the other hand, I know others who have let difficult circumstances shut them down. The choice is yours.

If you decide to push on and make the most of your unexpected path, there are others who will help you. You find people to listen to, to laugh with, and to learn from. I also know that you will most certainly be a great help to them, too. So take a deep breath, put a smile on your face, and press on. You will be glad you did. 

Ben