Are We On the Right Path?
by Diane Watson
It’s always humbling when we find out we’ve been wrong. Sometimes we’re so adamant that we’re right, then we’re hit with the realisation, no, we were wrong!
When my husband Paul and I went on holiday one year, we decided that he’d ride his motorbike and I’d drive the car. I could carry the kayak on the car, but we’d have the motorbike for taking some fun day trips. However, it was often easier for the motorbike to get through traffic and overtake, so I’d be left behind. Or, if I was following Paul, he sometimes failed to take the right turn off, and we went a different way from the one I’d expected.
One of those times I was getting agitated and quite frustrated, so at the next turn off he took I was convinced he was wrong. I defiantly continued on the road I thought was the right way, and went miles out of the way. Paul had to turn around to catch up to me. It was only when we hit the intersection of a major road that I realised my tenacity of believing I was in the right, was completely in the wrong. A very humbling experience!
Sometimes it’s like this with God too. We may feel that He’s showing us a direction that we feel is completely wrong, so we go our own way, realising later that His way would have been much easier.
We need to realise that we’re not without sin, and to humble ourselves before our great God, so that He can forgive us, and move us in the right direction.
My husband was very kind when we finally arrived at our destination. He wasn’t condemning. He’d worked out his anger by shouting into his helmet along the way, and then giving it to God, which I was very thankful for. I apologised profusely, and realised that, even if my husband had taken the wrong road, I should have followed him. Even if we think God is not leading us in the right direction, we should still be obedient, and know that His way is the right way.
Life has lots of lessons we can learn from. I’m grateful for a God who’s always forgiving and loving. I’m also grateful for a husband who’s loving and forgiving!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me. Help me to humbly admit my shortcomings, so that I can confess them to You, and You can forgive me, and lead me on the road that’s everlasting. Thank You that You use life’s lessons to show us Your love and mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Diane Watson is Deputy Centre Director of Ellel Pierrepont. Her husband Paul is Centre Director of Pierrepont and Regional Director of Australia Pacific and India. They have 4 adult children and 8 grandchildren. Diane had the vision for the first Australian Ellel Centre at Gilbulla, near Sydney, and was its Centre Director for the first 5 years.
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