The past year for us has been hard but great, sad but full of joy, insanely crazy but at the core full of peace. It has been a unique road but ultimately just a small adventure in our life's journey. When we resigned from our church in Virginia, we had no idea what God was asking us to do next. All that we knew is that it was time for us to step out. Over the course of that next year God taught us more than we thought possible. He took us down a path that would help us to know Him deeper and ultimately have a greater understand of His call on the Church and our lives in ministry.
A few years ago on a Mother's day, I got to sit on a stage with some other ladies and share our "motherhood" stories. We shared where we came from and the many different things that God had used to mold us into who we were. I don't remember much about that day or the weeks leading up to it, because I was terrified to be on stage :-X. Stage fright doesn't even begin to express the level of fear I experience when I have to be in front of a large audience. BUT.. God used that time to carve something very special into my heart. The picture that is in my mind from that day is one of 6 people coming from VERY different places and all sitting on the same stage telling their "God story". We had all made some very different choices, lived very different lives, chosen to follow Jesus as completely different times, and yet here we all sat. Together... one stage...and giving the One true God the glory. Isn't it so cool how God uses us in so many ways to tell His Story. His story of love, redemption, grace, mercy, sovereignty, etc.
So here I sit. In our beautiful home looking out at the mountains in the distance and I wonder about the many roads that it took to get here.
Broken home= redeemed
heart ache of my teenage years=mercy shown
bad choices=grace given
wonderful husband=redemption
beautiful children=merciful God
church pain= God's love
My road, your road, our roads together have a purpose. There is only one road to God and that is through Jesus but I know that God allows us to have many journeys to help us understand who He is. We may not understand the reason behind our travels but we CAN allow them to point to a gracious, loving, just God. We can allow God to be glorified in all things. And it is there, on the stage of life that we can all sit together and tell our God stories, so vastly different, that point in the same direction.
~LL
PS This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists. It is called Many Roads and it is by Andrew Peterson. The video is of the song but the lyrics are below it. Enjoy!
If you'll step inside this great glass elevator
It'll take us up above the city lights
To where the planet curves away to the equator
I want to show you something fine
You can see the roads that we all traveled just to get here
A million minuscule decisions in a line
Why they brought us to this moment isn't clear
But that's all right, we've got all night
Could it be that the many roads
You took to get here
Were just for me to tell this story
And for you to hear this song
And your many hopes
And your many fears
Were meant to bring you here all along
So if you'll trust me with your time I'll spend it wisely
I will sing to you with all I have to give
If you traveled all this way, then I will do my best to play
My biggest hits (that don't exist)
And if you'll lend to me your ear I'll sing 'em pretty
I will never, ever sing 'em out of tune
And I will not forget the words,
Of any chorus, bridge, or verse
I promise you
CHORUS
We've got Benjamin to play the grand piano
If we're lucky it's a little out of tune
We've got Andy on the guitar 'cause I promised him
Some Texas barbecue
How I love to watch you listen to the music
'Cause you sing to me a music of your own
As I cast out all these lines, so afraid that I will find
I am alone, all alone
Could it be that the many roads
I took to get here
Were just for you to tell that story
And for me to hear that song
And my many hopes
And my many fears
Were meant to bring me here all along
We were meant to be right here all alongD
To where the planet curves away to the equator
I want to show you something fine
You can see the roads that we all traveled just to get here
A million minuscule decisions in a line
Why they brought us to this moment isn't clear
But that's all right, we've got all night
Could it be that the many roads
You took to get here
Were just for me to tell this story
And for you to hear this song
And your many hopes
And your many fears
Were meant to bring you here all along
So if you'll trust me with your time I'll spend it wisely
I will sing to you with all I have to give
If you traveled all this way, then I will do my best to play
My biggest hits (that don't exist)
And if you'll lend to me your ear I'll sing 'em pretty
I will never, ever sing 'em out of tune
And I will not forget the words,
Of any chorus, bridge, or verse
I promise you
CHORUS
We've got Benjamin to play the grand piano
If we're lucky it's a little out of tune
We've got Andy on the guitar 'cause I promised him
Some Texas barbecue
How I love to watch you listen to the music
'Cause you sing to me a music of your own
As I cast out all these lines, so afraid that I will find
I am alone, all alone
Could it be that the many roads
I took to get here
Were just for you to tell that story
And for me to hear that song
And my many hopes
And my many fears
Were meant to bring me here all along
We were meant to be right here all alongD
