The Road
Most of us begin our adult lives thinking we know how it will go. We have an idea of what marriage or raising kids will look like. We have an idea of where we will live and work and the types of friends we will have. These expectations can set us up for disappointment. Usually at some point, our plans unravel or the road of life takes a turn. Unmet expectations can cause us to grieve the hopes we find unfulfilled.
When life causes us to grieve the unexpected, we lose our map. We used to have a map. We were given the map by those we trusted. This map showed us how to act, what to believe, and how to respond to the world around us. That map led us well, but there came a point when the map felt lacking and incomplete. Things happened that made us question.
In these moments of confusion and grief, we must look to God for guidance. If we don’t know how to talk to God or doubt our ability to hear God, we may look to the Internet, books, workshops, and other things to distract us. If you are like me, you may decide to begin meeting with a spiritual director. A good director joins our hand with God’s hand and encourages us to look to God for His map for the unique road we are walking on.
Each person has a road to walk that is unlike anyone else’s.
The road is for you alone and only you can walk it.
The Holy Spirit is a master navigator and guides your steps. He knows the way through the detours and roadblocks. He knows the way up hill and down, when the road is wide and freshly paved, or when the path is unmarked and barely visible.
He walks with you in the dark and holds your hand when you can’t see the next step.
He walks with you in cold and sleet, through rain and thunder.
He brings you inside to rest and eat hot soup and warm bread. You rest until morning, in the stillness of a cabin beside a crackling fire. He walks with you again in the cool of morning, when the sun is beginning to show its face behind the mountains. He urges you onward in the heat of the day, up the rugged trail to a stopping point that is just beyond your view.
Our God is a friend and most loyal companion. The more time we spend together, the less we need words. The gift of presence is enough. When we do speak, the words touch the deepest parts of our hearts. The tears flow as we recognize that we are fully seen and known by the one who made us.