He will direct your paths

Acts 16

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6

How very comforting and true!  It was for Paul and it is for me.  We talked this morning about the start of Paul's second missionary journey and how God without a doubt directed Paul's path.  Seriously, have you ever looked at the disciple's missionary journey's and wondered how in the world they chose the places and paths they chose?  If you take a look specifically at Acts 16, one can see the Holy Spirit at work on their journey.  Starting from the get go, because Paul went separate ways from Barnabas and John Mark, he and Silas were able to have Timothy come on board in helping with their ministry.  Remember: new doors can't open unless old ones close.  Also, Paul had plans of going to Asia, but twice in this passage, the Holy Spirit in whatever way (weather, war, wrong turn, etc. etc.) let them know they weren't supposed to go there.  Instead of wasting their time and energy trying, they TRUSTED the Lord and leaned not on their own understanding.  With his focus still in check (on God), Paul was able to see a vision of Macedonia.  He ACKNOWLEDGED GOD and took this as God was DIRECTING his path to Macedonia.  Although there wasn't a synagogue to preach at in Philippi (because there were too few Jews in that area), he was able to convert and baptize Lydia and her family (gentiles) down at the place of prayer by the river.  What could have been seen as another negative, their being harassed by a possessed slave, flogged, beaten, and thrown into a prison, also had a positive ending: the jailer and his family were converted and baptized during their imprisonment.      

Inevitably it's obvious and almost easy to see God directing the paths of Jesus' disciples, but remember, as a follower of Jesus Christ, we're disciples too!  Can you see God directing your path?  I sure can...

From MN, I was told by my parents that I wasn't allowed to go to college within the state or within any of the surrounding states for that matter.  Really they just didn't want me marrying my H.S. boyfriend (door closes).  Stubborn me didn't want to go to college where my brother and sister went at UW, Laramie (which is where I eventually ended up, but God knew I wasn't ready to meet my husband yet).  By God's GRACE I was accepted at the University of Puget Sound in WA where I eventually hit rock bottom, met Jesus, bought my first Bible (now 10 years old), and refused to repent and turn from my sin and follow Jesus (I thought I had all the time in the world!).  So I made A LOT more mistakes, graduated, moved home, and was caught in the middle of my mom hitting rock bottom with alcoholism.  Although I thought Alaska was my next big adventure (I had a job starting that September basically as a fish warden on the fishing boats in Dutch Harbor, one of the deadliest places on earth I'm told...apparently God wasn't finished with me yet!), I finally moved out to Wyoming to live with my sister.  I met Eric (now my husband) the first month I was there...but I had STILL a lot of growing up to do, and we didn't date or even see each other again until over a year later (foreshadowing...dun dun dunnn!)  My sister started taking me to church with her, and I'll never forget Pastor Stephen's sermon one morning: he brought suitcases to church that day and asked the question "are you right with God? Are you ready to go at any moment?  Because we never know when He's coming for us.  If you feel your heart going pitter patter, that's the Holy Spirit talking to you."  My heart was beating so fast I was sure the whole congregation could hear it!  I had met Jesus almost 5 years ago in my, what I thought was lonely, dorm room, but this was finally the day I wanted to GET RIGHT with Jesus.  Repent of my sins, turn from my past life and turn toward Jesus.  I wanted to KNOW JESUS and I wanted to FOLLOW HIM.  I was in a bad relationship at the time and I was listening to our Pastor's series on Lord of the Rings: how to have a Christ centered marriage.  My boyfriend didn't agree with this and my pastor didn't agree with missionary dating, so we parted ways.  It was also during that time that I started noticing this familiar blue-eyed cowboy at church and at the gym.  We literally ran into each other dancing one night at a concert.  He taught me how to triple step, we talked about God, helped lead youth group together, and the rest was history.  Just six short months later we were engaged to get married in a month (I'm absolutely positive our families thought we were crazy!)  After we got married we had plans to go on a mission trip to Africa, Kenya specifically.  All God's signs were there: we stumbled upon the African Children's Choir Concert, we were invited to dine at a Kenyan's house, we even got our shots (doors open!?)  I had quit my job, sold my truck, we rented out our house, and bought a camper (that we lived in, in Laramie, in what I have recorded as the coldest winter on earth!)  After Christmas at the cabin, I told Eric I wasn't leaving (I was finally warm again...thank you Blaze King!)  Just when we were making plans for Eric to quit his job, I found out I was pregnant.  Well thank you Jesus now we knew two things for sure: we weren't meant to be in Laramie, but we definitely weren't going to Africa now.  My maternal instincts crept in and I was ready to settle down (and although I loved it, I knew I couldn't raise a baby in a cabin with no running water, an outhouse, and with my husband going to work everyday on a snow machine ;o)  On a ski trip out to Terry Peak, SD we had some extra time (what!!!) and looked at some houses on our way through Wheatland.  I had always loved Wheatland (my ex-boyfriend lived in the Canyon) and Eric had fond memories there as well (actually going to youth group himself!) We loved it and couldn't stop thinking about it so much (our VISION!) we actually put an offer in on a house on our way back through town!  The house was already under contract but we kept looking (and praying!)  We ended up losing our first baby, but God didn't let me lose the desire to settle down and have children.  Did we have the cart before horse trying to buy a house with no job?  God resolved that for us: Eric's EXACT position at WYDOT in Laramie "just happened" to open up in Wheatland.  We found our house...well not really, the realtor had to DIRECT us to it (we got lost on our own).  We, with God's GRACE, got the lending on an unconventional earth-berm (dirt roof) house (this halted the last buyers from following through thank God!)  We moved in!  Literally weeks later I found out I was finally accepted to Vet school in WA.  Really God? (sorry Job moment).  Thankfully a week later I found out I was pregnant again...Hallelujah!  Although we had been church hopping and honestly stopped going after our faded attempts to find a church home, now the search was on with little bambino on the way.  Although we loved Memorial Baptist Church, Frank Smith was what kept us coming back.  He treated us like we were his very own grandchildren.  MBC was our church home (thankfully just in time for Addalynn to be born only months later.  When she was not quite one, we were asked by Pastor Craig to help work with the youth that summer.  Now here we are, over three years later and God is still DIRECTING OUR PATHS. 

Although the early road of my life was quite unclear, uphill, and at times downright bumpy, it has always led to God.  Now that I TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL my HEART, AND LEAN NOT ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING.  IN ALL my WAYS ACKLOWLEDGING HIM, HE DIRECTS my PATHS.  I can honestly say this has DAILY helped me.  Yes major decisions require prayer and clear direction.  But DAILY listening to God's still small voice has removed such a burden from my shoulders.  I truly feel every minute of my day is directed by God, and it's SO much easier to just follow His lead.  Although this road is still sometimes unclear, uphill, and even bumpy, I know who's at the wheel and I know where it leads: to eternity with God...the very BEST destination ever imaginable...and all thanks to Jesus!