Alternate Routes
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ”
Last month I finished a novel entitled The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The story begins depressing, but do not give up. The main character commits suicide and ends up in heaven, purgatory, or something akin. She is placed in a “Groundhog Day” scenario where she lives in a series of alternative lives where she takes other roads, marrying other people, working toward other careers, etc. Throughout the process of experiences lived, the main character learns lessons and appreciates life. (Don’t worry, I didn’t give very much of the plot.)
Our human perspective is small. It is difficult to see our true worth in life. It is so easy to focus on the negative aspects of life and fail to realize the blessing nearby. What changes would we make if we had the opportunity to try all of life’s roads we didn’t walk? Would we shoot for the most money? Would we bother with faith? Would our lives be fulfilled?
Rather than despair over the frustrations of life, ponder ways you can take advantage of the roads you have taken. Your life isn’t one long “Groundhog Day.” As long as we have breath in this life, there are roads to be traveled. Some are barely a trail, while others are six-lane highways. There is excitement when we consider the alternative roads to travel down.
Today, prayerfully consider the roads you have traveled in life. Then, spend just a short amount of time thinking of the roads you didn’t go down. Stop obsessing on “what might have been,” consider why you didn’t choose those paths, and learn from those experiences. Now, spend more time thinking about why you walked down the roads you chose. Understanding why you made those choices will guide future decisions. Then, give thanks for the wisdom God is providing along the way.
