"Off-Roading" with God

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.'  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes." (James 4:13-16)


Have you ever been "off-roading" before?  Early in my marriage, my husband finally convinced me to ride on a 4-wheeler with him.  I had never done anything like that before (and for those who knew me then, you wouldn't expect me to go for it).  We were visiting with family and they had access to 4-wheelers and a great place to ride them.  So, hesitantly, I decided to go on a ride.  


First, you must understand my husband a bit.  Have you ever read the book, Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge?  It describes my husband very well.  He loves motorcycles, jumping his truck, mountain biking, etc.  So, now he was trying to get me to enter into that part of his life.  Ha!  


I was a bit afraid, but also, honestly, excited.  I wasn't sure I wanted to go, but thought it would be fun to try.  So many different feelings and emotions going through me as we started off.  Not just was I getting on a 4-wheeler and riding through the woods for the first time, but I was also having to trust my husband as the driver!  This was not my plan for a good time, but it was my spouses and so I joined him.


Have you ever felt that way before?  Hesitant to move forward where God may be leading, nervous about the journey you are about to enter into, afraid something bad or scary might happen, and unwilling to try something new because it's out of your comfort zone?


As we started into the woods I was still anxious, scared and tense, but again, willing to go.  It was hot out, the road was bumpy and rough, there were lots of bugs out and of course, there was mud.  But, as we rode, the wind felt so cool (you only felt the heat if you stopped), we would go so fast that sometimes you didn't notice the bumps and as we splashed through the muddy water it cooled me off and felt great!  Surprisingly, I LOVED it!!  We had so much fun, I couldn't believe it!  I would totally go again.


Recently, I have been remembering that ride and reflecting on it.  Early in our marriage, my husband and I adopted the verse above in James as a guideline.  We can make plans, but be prepared for God to change them.  He changed our plans a lot early in our marriage, so we learned to be flexible, to hold onto that verse and let God guide us.  These past couple years have been very difficult on our family--we lost my nephew to cancer, put our house on the market to move closer to his family, then my dad suddenly passed away right as our house sold and we moved in with my mom so we could renovate a fixer-upper house we bought.  All this with 3 little kids too!  Trying to move, plan a funeral, find time to grieve and still take care of 3 little ones all at the same time pushed me over the edge.  I found myself questioning God and his "perfect" timing.  Isn't everything supposed to happen in His "perfect" time?  Why did it take a year to sell our house so we could move closer to my nephew's family and why did it sell right when my dad passed away?  That didn't sound like perfect timing to me!  My emotions were out of control and I found myself disappointed in God.


Thankfully, I had my women's Bible study group and God's word to fall on.  It was through my daily study of the word that God opened my eyes to a new perspective.  Life is how we perceive it, right?  I thought about that ride on the 4-wheeler and ended up adopting a saying and new perspective on life.  "We are currently off-roading with God."  My family and I are deviating from our expected path or what some may call the "American dream" path and we are entering the off-beaten path, the amazing journey that God has for us.  


Just like that first ride on the 4-wheeler, I'm scared, I'm hesitant to face the journey, the road is bumpy and rough and there's lots of "mud."  When I saw this path as "off-roading" with God, I began to see the adventure He had for me.  I began to change my perspective on my life's current events.  I have learned to see life as an adventure, not a straight, smooth and perfect path.  And you know what...that straight, smooth perfect path is kinda boring.  I would much rather get on that 4-wheeler with the Lord, follow and trust Him through the bumpy woods, and come out stronger in my faith as a result.  Finally, I will share with you that this rough, bumpy path is ironically what led my 7 year old son to choose to be a follower of Christ.  


Happy "off-roading" moms.  :)