Have you ever started a simple task, then that task leads to another then another, and before you realize it, your original chore has become this huge project you didn’t count on? If it’s something like going through a closet, cabinets, or the garage, that action probably leads to belongings and contents being strewn all over the place. Those items probably end up in piles to put back or give to a family member or take to a donation site. This well-intentioned task has turned into a little bit of an unexpected mess. But there’s no turning back, no changing your mind. You have no choice but to deal with it, take the next steps, and keep going.
It reminds me of decisions and how they very often lead to one thing then another then another. We may not know, or understand at the time, that one decision can affect many parts of our lives. I can look back and see my own big decisions, the role they have played in my life, and what they have led to—one thing then another. For a few, especially when I was younger and likely didn’t realize how important it was, I wonder if I prayed about those decisions. If I involved God in them. If I asked for guidance and what would be for His greater glory. I hate to admit that I can’t really remember. Did I? Or did I think I knew what was best?
Just like that project that turned into more than I counted on, I can’t go back and change my mind. I can’t change those decisions or the path they took me on. I can’t change if I prayed about them or not. But I can be who I am now, in the present—where it’s never too late to pray and ask God for help and to be with me—in my decisions, in how to proceed, and in how to better live for His glory.
He is always ready for us to seek Him and include Him as we take the next step. Let us pray for the grace of inviting God to truly walk with us so we will be strengthened, comforted, and guided by the companionship of His mercy and compassion.
Help me oh Lord, my God, save me according to your loving kindness. (Psalm 109:26)
Journeying to Grace 