God allows U -turns

I am a person with a rather poor road sense. Or perhaps it is a case of not being adaptable. Whatever it is, I am very poor at finding my way around KL, with all the new flyovers and exit roads. Today, I had to drive to Genting Highlands. The drive there was really a challenge. I am totally unfamiliar with the route from PJ to the Karak highway. So the best I could do was to follow the signs that read "Kuantan". That sounds easy enough. But these days, to add to the complication there are two types of road signs: those that are blue and those that are green with the highway indication. Well, since I thought I was heading for a highway, I looked out for the green signs that read "Kuantan". So far so good. But somewhere along the way, the sign turned to a blue one. Very confusing. I went past the exit with the blue sign, drove some distance and decided that I should turn back because new signs indicated that I was going to Rawang (north instead of east). Fortunately for me, there was a convenient U - turn not too far ahead. After that I looked out for the blue sign to Kuantan, followed that and it got me to where I wanted.

Perhaps life can be as muddling as following Malaysian road signs. We journey along and see different indicators to where we think we want to go, but often the external pointers we encounter in life can be as confusing as road signs. In life, we may know where we are heading, but as we move along, how do we make sure we are on the right track? I want to try to live my life as authentically as possible, desiring to follow Jesus. What are the signs that I need to look for? How do I decide which of the many pointers is the one God is leading me to? Often, as in this country, there is more than one sign reading for example, "Petaling Jaya", and the route would be different depending on which sign I follow. Perhaps there are indeed many routes, many ways we can be authentic Christians, and still glorify the Lord. For example, each of us is unique, with our own gifts and talents and we may be led along different routes, even though the destination is the same. What is important is our desire to follow the way God calls us and our attentiveness to the pointers he shows us along the way.

I do struggle to find my unique way. Perhaps it is after all a lifelong search, and it would be better to see it as taking a scenic drive, waiting expectantly for the Lord's leading at each crossroad, rather than a very fixed route that we need to somehow figure out and get right. In our spiritual lives, there is also the inner voice of the Spirit, which is also a guide when we take time to listen prayerfully. There are outer and inner signs we need to read as we listen to our lives. The road of life can be confusing, and for most people more so than just taking a drive to a new place. I found my way today, with some mistakes and turn abouts. It will be the same with life. I am truly grateful that God allow U turns and he will graciously set my feet back on a level place. "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it' ".