Trading Places

Have you ever led someone from one destination to another?? Pause for a second and think about a time when you led another driver to their destination or followed someone to get to yours.

When you’re leading, you tend to look back to make sure that they are still behind you, following you. Sometimes, you even slow down so that they can catch up with you. Furthermore, you might even call them on the phone just to get a feel of how they’re doing in that moment. 

Or, if you lose them, you talk them through the route until they’ve caught up with you.

They’re following you to a place you’ve already been, a place you’re familiar with. You’ve essentially become their GPS. But there’s another part to it... What about when the follower can’t keep up and is having a hard time navigating through traffic and begins to feel as though you’re not doing a good job at leading? You may be zooming through yellow lights, weaving in and out of traffic, or speeding, and they may feel that you’re not being considerate.

Well, yesterday, I had to do what I’ve done so many times before: lead and watch someone get to their destination. This drive was different, though. I led with the other car riding on a spare. Now, was that smart of me to lead, knowing that the car behind me was in critical condition? NOT AT ALL! That car should have been in front of me so that I could pull over and be there if trouble occurred, right? Right!!

Needless to say, it was 10:30 at night, dark, and raining. I was looking back every chance I got to make sure that the car was still behind me. My heart felt heavy and anxiety kicked in; it got so bad that I called the driver and said, “just talk to me the whole way there.” Now, the conversation was the bare minimum – we talked about how far we had left to go or just updated each other on our proximity. I eventually got off the phone with the other person when we were about 5 minutes away and felt confident that they would make it from there.

Those last few, silent minutes of the drive broke me to pieces. I led a car that was in critical condition or, in better terms, broken down. In that moment, I realized that God rearranged my position from a follower to a leader so that I could get a glimpse of His position in my life. He leads us when we are at our most vulnerable, just as He does when we’re in peak condition and able to follow closely behind. 

God needed me to see Him as exactly who He is, rather than what I’ve recently felt He was being.

 

My leading served no other purpose than to see God.

When we are in dark, rainy, and low places, God IS STILL THERE. Losing my daughter has been the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to deal with and makes it especially difficult to follow when I’ve been led to this intimidating destination. Honestly, I questioned why anyone would want to follow to a place of losing their child. There were days when I wanted out of following because the pain was unbearable, and I didn’t want to be led down the path of experiencing anything close to this hurt again. But, when I’m feeling low, heavy, sad, frustrated, angry, and all the other dark emotions, He doesn’t take off and leave me. He keeps looking and reaching back. He keeps guiding me, minute by minute, day by day. He keeps asking how I feel, because He cares.

Understand that, when you begin to yield your attention to other things, HE’S STILL THERE. When you stop focusing on Him because something else has consumed you, HE’S STILL THERE. When you begin to play in and out, inconsistent relationship games with Him, understand that HE HAS NEVER LEFT HIS POSITION OF LEADING YOU, YOU JUST STOPPED FOLLOWING. Even when you have those earthly, human inclinations that cause you to lose trust, question His leadership, and wonder whether he is considering your feelings during the process and the God risk, DUDE IS STILL THERE!!!

He assured us that, even when following gets tough, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” So, no matter how far off course you think you’ve gone, you’re never too far away for Him to reach back for you.
He’s there, making sure that you’re still following Him.
There, slowing down to make sure that He doesn’t leave you behind.
There, guiding you back when you lose your way.
There, hearing your frustration as you follow Him to uncomfortable and unfamiliar places.
There, speaking to you, giving you guidance, step by step.
There, moments before your new destiny. 

So, whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 

Less than 5 minutes from our destination, I was able to hang up the phone out of confidence that the driver would make it. I’m confident that God hangs up all the phones and lovingly watches, sees us through. There is favor in following. You will get to wherever His will leads you!! If you think about good leaders, they never nag you to follow them. Think about this great leader, God. God won’t nag you to follow Him. He has what you want and need, whatever that is, and when you follow, He’ll ensure your safety. He’ll even go ahead of you to make sure that He controls the traffic and obstacles that you encounter.

You WILL encounter delays and obstructions during your process, but the impact of your encounter with Him is far greater than any impediment because He will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; He will counsel you with His loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 

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