From James Dodwell - Hammers of Hope
Good Morning,
The directions for the trip home were clear enough, just
follow the signs to I-65 north which were posted all along the county road
winding through south west Alabama. I was driving, my wife the passenger was
watching for the signs when she said, “Pavement ends ahead, that’s not good.”
So for the next ten to fifteen miles we traveled on a dirt road between some of
the most beautiful farmland we have witnessed. I am not sure when I missed the
turn; however, we were off the main path into uncharted territory. I guess I
could have turned around and backtracked, but where is the fun in doing that? I
checked to make sure the compass was pointing North East as we forged ahead,
dust billowing up behind the truck, banjo music from “Deliverance” playing in
my head, not knowing where this new path would take us, but we were hopeful a
paved road was in our future.
While we cautiously traveled along the country road I was
reminded of a story about a driver who was speeding along a twisty country lane
when he turned a corner and, to his horror, saw two farmhands standing chatting
in the middle of the road. He swerved
violently to avoid them but the car ran up an embankment, did a triple
somersault and landed in an adjacent field. One farmhand turned to the other
and said: "That was a stroke of luck. I reckon we got out of that field
just in time." By a stroke of luck we finally ended our dirt road trip
just east of Atmore, Alabama and were able to maneuver around and get on I-65
north to join the bumper to bumper traffic train to Montgomery. After a few
minutes on the well traveled path we decided it was safer and the view from the
windshield was more appealing when we were on the narrow, less traveled path,
but we forged ahead, ready to be home.Our life path is similar; we are on one path when we either get distracted or are lead in a different direction, then we wind up on a path in unfamiliar territory. We think maybe we should backtrack and get back on path we were on, but then we realize our compass is pointed in the right direction. Maybe, this is where we need to be just now, at this time in our life. We recheck our compass, it’s still pointed in the right direction, maybe this is a new adventure, and maybe a change in destiny awaits us. Why not give it a chance? The change in scenery is good, the path isn’t too rough, in fact it’s pleasant, we have remained teachable and now are learning something new, a different way, and our compass remains steady pointing in the right direction. So we cautiously, forge ahead, readying ourselves for the challenge.
As I pondered this event later, I thought about having trust. Successful leaders depend not on their own wit and wisdom, but on God for direction. Leaders act according to their gifts and calling but trust God to bring about desired results. Living in today’s world, information about almost anything happening is at our fingertips within seconds. All this chatter and communication makes us weary and tired and our purpose in life becomes vague and blurred. We tend to become defensive about our leadership and lose trust in the compass showing us the way. All leaders, even great leaders become vulnerable when they grow tired, lonely, angry, or hungry. The thing to do is look within, lean into Him, find rest in Him then allow Him to set the course heading to help us stay on path.
As we stretch and grow as leaders, we don’t need to lean on what we learn and be reactive; we need to lean in to what we learn to make us better and more proactive. We need to know God’s vision is most likely larger than ours. We need to always include others in our plans. We should think continually and never be satisfied with today’s answers. We need to strive for results and fruit. We should keep improving and helping others to improve. We have to think outside the box. We have to have a sense of what will work. We must serve and add value to people. We must evaluate quickly and see possible answers to help guide others in the right direction.
I encourage all of us, the next time we find ourselves
off-path and feeling lost in life, turn to the GPS. Not the standard Global
Positioning System but instead “God’s Preferred Solution”, prayer. Sit quietly
somewhere, close your eyes and mouth, open your mind, heart and ears and listen
to Him for direction. It will make a difference in our lives and definitely be
value added. Psalm 37:3
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