July 25, 2025
“Trust”
Last
Friday, about this time, I was finishing up a walk on the beach on our
last day of vacation. Eight days before that, I was packing to go to the
beach. It was a great time away. But there was one thing that was a bit
different than normal. We have been going to the same place for over
twenty years. Most years, there are multiple trips, so I know my way. In
the beginning, I would have written directions next to me, to remember
specific route numbers, just in case. But I haven’t needed that for
quite some time. This time, I found myself at a loss. I was heading
down, listening to a podcast, getting in beach mode, and then a little
past halfway, suddenly a detour. From what I could see, there was an
accident just up ahead. It was a small road, and all traffic was being
detoured around. There was no time, or place to stop and figure it out;
cars were lined up in front and behind me, and did I mention that it was
raining pretty good? So, I did what the cars in front of me did, I
turned at this unfamiliar intersection. Now, some cars turned left, and
some turned right. I chose right. I had no idea where that road went,
but my final destination was further East and South, so right felt like
the correct direction. But what did I know about how these side roads
ran? I turned right and then as soon as possible, pulled over, pulled
out my phone, pulled up Google maps, and said, “Avalon” into the search
bar. Sure enough, there was a way plotted for me. Off I went.
From
that point on, I didn’t look at the phone. It was raining pretty
heavily, so I was concentrating on the road, just listening for the
voice of Siri to tell me when to turn. I went down roads I had never
been on before. I passed through towns, the names of which I did not
know. I passed schools, and a prison, and a small military facility.
Cars, and trucks traveled with me, turned off here and there, joined in,
went the other way; in other words, went their own way, oblivious to
me. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, going where I was told to
go, turning when I was told to turn, I came out to a road that I knew,
surprisingly close to my destination, totally bypassing a large section
of roads that I normally used. In the end, it turned out, my “detour”
took about as long as my normal route would have. If I had driven blind,
God only knows how or when I would have made it to the beach. I guess I
could have waited at the initial detour, till the accident cleared up,
but that could have been many hours. Ultimately, what got me to my
destination was trust. I trusted the resource that I had, and it proved
true.
There
is a lesson there. Week in, week out, day in, day out, we go about our
business, whether it is the usual routine, or whether it is something
special and we may have great familiarity. We may be able to navigate
our way without thinking, under normal circumstances. But every now and
then, something happens, and we are pushed or pulled out of our normal
routine. We may be forced to take paths to which we are unaccustomed.
When that happens, what do you do?
Many
will just start "driving around." In other words, they will try to
keep going, but they are essentially directionless; they don’t know what
they are doing, or where they are going. Some will sit; stuck where
things went off the rails; waiting for it somehow to correct itself so
that they can do what they normally do. The smart thing, the faithful
response, is to make our way forward by faith. We need to trust the one
that we say is Lord and take our direction from Him. Sometimes that will
mean that we travel through places that are completely unfamiliar. We
may not know the way at all. But we trust our guide, to get us to our
destination. Really, what we should be doing at all times, is trust our
guide to get us to where He Knows,
we need to go. That is really trusting; letting God lead us. If you are
wondering how one does that, there are apps for that: prayer,
scripture, Christian counsel, the Holy Spirit. It can be a little
unsettling at times, to not know the way, the way we would like. Or, to
feel out of control. But really, there is no truer, safer way to go
through life, than with God directing. Trust.
Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
Pastor Blaine.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
- Proverbs 3:5-6