On the trip of life, you’ll have delays.

Some big, some small.

Sometimes something about how the steering wheel handles causes you to notice something’s off, and you will be forced to pull the car over to the shoulder to find out what’s wrong.

Life’s like this.

Being grown up is like this.

And following Jesus is definitely like this.

On the road to where we are headed there will be little things that require us to pull over, and big things that require us to pull over. Regardless these things we must tend to.

The Boo-Boo

Sometimes accidents happen, and accident or not, it hurt real bad and it’s bleeding now. You need to clean it, put some antibiotic cream on it, and a bandaid, sometimes even give a hug and a kiss, and tell Jesus about it.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.103.2-3.NKJV

The Spill

Spills are mostly accidents, but sometimes, spills are simply failure to plan. Sometimes a bad idea, a shortcut gone wrong, or just plain laziness to transfer the drink to a cup with a lid. Either way, it’ll require a pull over.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.21.5.NKJV

Potty Breaks, Snack Stops, and Driver Swaps

The natural needs of our human bodies and those traveling with us sometimes delay the roadtrip. We need to nourish our temple with good God foods, we need sleep, we need to ride some instead of drive, and we need to rest our eyes. Fueling the body with wrong things, going too strong for too long can sometimes cause a worse set back than taking a slower pace for a few minutes. Take the exit.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/1co.10.31.NKJV

The Unpreventable

The flat tire, The check engine light. The deer in the road. Sometimes we have bigger set backs that require a lot more work, attention and time to get back up and running. God didn’t put the nail in the road to flatten our tire, He did not send the deer into the highway, and He surely didn’t manipulate something to fail our engine.

“The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.145.9.NKJV

The Baby Tears and Temper Tantrums

More times than not, those going with us are still growing. Learning to tolerate, endure and mature. Learning patience, growing in self control. Sometimes a temper tantrum rises up, and we need to pull over, take a walk, recenter our focus on the destination. Sometimes we have to pause to help others around us for a time and though that can feel like delay, it’s much more than that. It’s way more beautiful than we can often see in that season.

““Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jos.1.13-15.NKJV

(Emphasis mine)

Low Fuel Level

Face it, we let our tank get too low. Oftentimes, in our efforts to do things in our own strength, we don’t wanna stop at the gas station right there with 50 miles to empty, because we think “I’ll stop at the next one up here,” as we are completely unaware that there’s not a ‘next one up here’ for 100 miles out…and we actually run out of gas.

Ask me how I know.

Running out completely will stop you for longer than you wanna stop and keep you longer than you wanna stay.

“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.34.1-2.NKJV

Stretch Breaks

Then sometimes, the ride is just long. We may have not had any of the other problems, but at 60 mph with 1,000 miles to go, it’s a mindset of let’s just get there. Sometimes the wait, the drive, the journey can get uncomfortable. Even though we are on our way, we are exactly on track and mapping with time and the plan, we can get stiff, we get tired from sitting in the same position for so long, holding the steering wheel, shifting our hips, staring at the windshield. We get tired from the journeying and are ready to see the sea by now, ready to see the mountains, or the waterfalls.

“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.40.31.NKJV

No matter where you are on your journey or what you may be tending to on the shoulder of this life today, I came here with these things in my heart from the Lord to tell you to keep going.

I came to tell you to keep your eyes on the destination, the miles remaining, the ETA.

You will arrive to your destination, no matter how long it takes.

Fix your flat, eat something, refill your tank, dry the tears, pray over the boo-boo, clean up the spill, and find God in the unpreventable…and get back on the road.

Your destiny calls you, and you must go.