Have you ever felt like you've been heading in the right direction, but you've just been going about it the wrong way? It can definitely have an effect on the way you see things. This happened to me quite recently.
I was heading to a meeting I knew I was going to be late for, so I absent-mindedly hopped in the car, turned the key in the ignition, and punched in the address on the GPS.
As I turned onto the freeway, my mind drifted to thoughts of what I was going to say at the meeting, and I unconsciously forgot where I was going. After what seemed like half an hour later, I suddenly realised I hadn't the slightest clue where I was. 'Where the heck am I?' I wondered aloud.
Frantically reaching for the GPS, I saw that I had taken the longer 'scenic' route to my destination—including a bunch of road work and reduced speed signs picketed along the way.
Needless to say, I was a little frustrated by the delay; but amazingly, I ended up at my destination five minutes ahead of schedule. The meeting went ahead smoothly without the slightest hiccup. All that worrying over nothing, I guess.
Distracted
Oftentimes, we can lose our way at the most inconvenient of moments. Unforeseen delays, inconceivable frustrations, or unneeded detours can clog our minds and force us to see something that is anything but preferable.
There is an old saying: 'obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.' In life, this certainly seems to be the case.
But what causes such distractions? Perhaps it is our ability to get so easily side-tracked by something that we fail to realise why we didn't pay attention in the first place. Sometimes, we may even follow someone who tries to be helpful, but in the end does more harm than good. It can be difficult to know what do in certain situations when anything but the end goal is in sight.
Conquering the challenge
Hiking the highest peak in the San Bernardino mountain range in Southern California isn't the best hike to tackle when you're a first-timer; yet I found myself halfway up Mount Baldy, a peak 10, 000 feet above sea level, with hardly the peak in sight.
By now my friends had convinced me to take a 'shortcut' off the hiking trail that seemed to be getting steeper with every step I took. We finally caught sight of the cable car suspended above us, and reckoned we were headed in the right direction.
Suddenly, I realised that the ground beneath us was more porous than I had anticipated, and my boots started sliding downwards. I panicked and fell to my knees, clawing at the rocks just above me.
My friend's hand shot down in front of my face, and I grabbed onto him and collapsed beside him, not a moment too soon. We ended up at the top of the peak in record time, quite grateful that we had made it in one piece.
When incidences that you hadn't planned out take advantage of you, oftentimes, you wish you had avoided them at all costs. But isn't overcoming the challenge better than avoiding the challenge entirely? Hindsight often proves so time and time again.
Life can throw you a curveball, but your strength is proven in the moments of weakness when you choose to stand your ground.
As often as you experience setbacks and struggles, there are moments when you are able to look back and say, 'I made it!'
During those times when you can't see the end in sight, remember that God is still there with you. It is in those moments when we think that we can't turn around or start over that we can trust the One who guides us, even when we lose our way.
A third-culture-kid born in Australia to Indian parents, Joseph recently returned from California where he was studying theology, and has been working for the US Center for World Mission. His love of books and writing has now drawn him to PSI.
Joseph Kolapudi's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/joseph-kolapudi.html