By Lisa Elliott
A card I received the year my son battled leukemia says, “Life has a way of making quick turns…without using its turn signal.” That was certainly the case that year, but it’s not the only time in my life when circumstances turned me in a new direction.
The first was when I was making plans to get my early childhood education degree. Due to a registration fee that was a day late, I was removed from the enrollment list. Initially, I was devastated, but the Lord used that closed door to lead me to Bible college. I just had to get my head around the disruption and redirect my thoughts to coincide with the new direction. As it turned out, I met the love of my life, David. Interestingly, he had also been on another path when the Lord stepped in his way and changed his course. Before he knew it, he was heading to Bible college where he met me! Little did either of us know how the Lord was reorienting both of our lives into full-time pastoral ministry.
How different would my life be now if I had gone ahead with my original plan? How would your life be different? Where would you be if God hadn’t interrupted your regularly scheduled program with a news flash?
I find the Lord reminding me these days that what’s most important is how we approach those times in our lives when circumstances catch us off guard. How do you respond when a job is terminated, an illness strikes, a relocation is in the forecast, a tragedy takes place, or a relationship is lost? If your experience is anything like mine, a sudden shift in plans can turn a great day into doomsday in a hurry. Disruptions create anxiety, trigger depression, cause us to question, doubt, fear, and wonder if we’re on the right track at all!