| October 4, 2024 “Which Way” Sunday (September 29) I was headed to the beach for my annual Fall retreat. It turned out to be a fantastic week. I did not have the same weather in Southern New Jersey as was in Manheim! On my way to the beach, going the way I always go, I ran into a detour. It was a detour sufficiently far from home; I was not familiar with any of the surrounding roads. But I had no choice. The road was blocked off. A sign said road closed ahead. Another sign said detour and pointed to my right. I had no choice. Turn right. Now where? I imagine that many of you can relate, you are driving somewhere and all of a sudden, you have to go another way. Whether the issue is construction or an accident, the result is the same; somehow you need to navigate your way around. In my case, I was lucky, there were signs. That was good. The roads that I traveled were completely unfamiliar to me; and I didn’t know what was coming next or how long it would take. But, by paying attention to the signs, I eventually got back to where I knew the road and was on track. Sometimes, something pops up unexpectedly, meaning that the cause is very fresh or urgent, and there aren’t even any signs. Then, what do you do? Well, maybe you follow other cars – hoping that someone ahead of you knows the way. Maybe you pull out your phone, pull up a map app and use it to chart your way around. Maybe you just go and trust your general sense of direction. To some degree, whatever method you resort to, what you do takes a measure of trust. You trust the car ahead of you. You trust the app on your phone. You trust your own sense of direction. Of course, sometimes it works out better than other times. Sometimes you need to practice patience and perseverance more than you would like. But ultimately, you have no choice. I guess you could turn around and go home, but what of your trip? This incident got me thinking. You may not be confused driving to work or even a larger trip, but there are many people who are finding themselves a bit lost, a bit confused, unsure which way to go over very many issues in our world today. For some, the prospect of casting a vote seems overwhelming. What do I do? Right now, some are feeling convicted, and confused about what to do in response to the terrible devastation in southern states following the hurricane. Some may be dealing with areas of uncertainty that are very personal in nature; a relationship issue, a health issue, a job issue, etc. There are a lot of things that might leave us feeling like we are hitting a roadblock in life, uncertain about how we get around it. What do you do when you hit a roadblock like that? Well, I believe there is some parallel to hitting a roadblock when you are driving. Is there someone else that you can follow? Is there someone that can help lead you and guide you? Or do you wing it, trusting your own instincts and experience? Or do you seek out some very special knowledge – an app of sorts? It is one thing to wing it when you are out for a drive. If you realize that you are lost, you can always try to backtrack, trusting you will eventually get to somewhere you know. But, winging it with a health or relational issue can have devastating consequences. Having a guide can be a good thing. But you need to be sure your guide knows the way. They can seem as confident as all get out, but if they really don’t know … well again devastating consequences. The surest thing it seems is that we would look for some truly expert, special knowledge. And then, on top of that maybe supplement with other sources too! Now, I am not aware of any “app” that you can plug life’s problems in to get around roadblocks. But as a person of faith, there is a source that I need to turn to about everything. That source is God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is where I make my appeal. I turn to God’s word. I seek direction from what is core, or foundational in my life. Not sure how to vote? How am I informed by my faith? (Don’t expect exact, perfect answers – but maybe a direction.) How do I respond to suffering that I see? How am I informed by my faith? Have a problem at home, at work, with a friend, within myself? What principles, ideals, values, do I see in God’s word, or that come to me in prayer that would instruct me? I confess that there are many things that pop in life that trouble me; greatly. Many things leave me wondering what to do. But, often, it is less troubling when I do something about them – the first and most important thing, framing them within the context of my faith. If I dwell on my own, I will likely despair. If I give them to God, likely I gain perspective, direction, and maybe even a sense of peace. Turning to God with my problems, doesn’t mean that I will always know exactly where I am going, or know what is next, but I can be pretty certain that if I follow, I will find my way back to familiar ground. It’s a matter of trust. I hope this helps a little the next time you encounter any kind of “road closed” or “detour” sign in your life. Take a breath, and then keep moving with the “best information” you can. Take a breath, and keep moving, with God. Grace, Mercy and Peace, Pastor Blaine |