Wouldn’t it be wonderful if life came with road signs? Imagine coming to an intersection and seeing two bright green signs. One points left and reads Old Athol Road. The other points right and reads New Athol Road…no confusion about which direction leads where. I sometimes wish life worked that way.

            Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew exactly when one chapter of our lives was ending and another was beginning? If there were a sign that said, “This is where your old life ends,” and another that assured us, “Your new life begins here.” Instead, we often find ourselves traveling along a road that feels strangely unfamiliar, wondering when the scenery changed. Sometimes we’re well into a new chapter before we even realize we’ve turned the page. Other times, we cling to an old road long after it’s stopped taking us where we need to go.

            I don’t know about you, but I’d sure love it if God provided a few landmarks along the way. Perhaps a sign that said, “You’re getting closer” or a marker reminding us, “You’re still heading in the right direction” or, perhaps most reassuring of all, “You haven’t made a wrong turn. Keep going.” But faith rarely comes with a detailed road map. More often, it asks us to trust that we can find our way even when we can’t see what’s around the next bend.

            Maybe that’s because God isn’t waiting for us at the end of the road. God is traveling with us, through every intersection, every detour, every unexpected turn. And maybe the landmarks are there after all; they just don’t look like street signs. Sometimes they’re the kindness of a stranger, the encouragement of a friend, an unexpected opportunity, or a quiet sense of peace when everything around us feels uncertain.

            We may not always know exactly where the old road ends and the new one begins, but we can trust that neither road is traveled alone. And perhaps that’s the only sign we really need.

 

Journeying together in faith and love,

Rev. Candi