Where are you going?

Where are you going? I have been asking myself this question for a while now…

Where do I think my life is going and where am I leading my family? Do I have a clear picture of where I came from? Because the past is something that has helped to shape me, it in no way defines me, as my life is defined by Jesus, but my past and where I came from has shaped me and helped make me who I am today, and thus will have an effect on where I am going.

I remember a time when I thought everything was falling into place and it was all luck. Before I started attending worship regularly, after I had become disenchanted with the church my wife and I moved from Cincinnati to Gastonia. In this move we had a lease on an apartment we needed out of, and jobs to find. I had interviewed for a job in Cincinnati, I had to turn down as we were moving.

Well in the month before the move, I got offered a job in Charlotte, an hour from where we were moving, but they wanted me to start now. But we are not moving for a month. Not a problem was the response I got, we will fly you here and back for however long we need to, fly you in on Monday and home on Friday, give you a car and money for food. One thing fell into place.

The apartment was still under a lease with about 4 months to go. We went to the office and told them our current issue. They said they would list it as available but if they could not rent it we would need to pay through the end of our lease. That was a Friday.  Monday we get a call, we have rented your apartment and we need you out by Friday. Now a new problem – what to do with the stuff. We are out of our lease, but not moving for 3 weeks and our stuff has to go somewhere. My wife can stay with her parents, as I fly back and forth between Charlotte and Cincinnati…

Well around the corner from our apartment was a storage facility doing a special, first month for $1.  No minimum and you don’t have to rent a month to get a month for a $1. So we stored our stuff for 3 weeks for $1. I got a job, our apartment got taken out from under our lease, and everything fell right into place. We also found an apartment on our first trip down to Gastonia which is a miracle because we had a 50 lb Siberian Husky.  Not many places will take a big dog in an apartment. Everything fell into place, because as I look back now I can see God’s hand moving through that move. But before I worshiped regularly I could not see that…

Do you know where you are going? In John 8:12-20 Jesus testifies to himself as being the light of the world and the Pharisees mock Him. They say He can not testify to himself. Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.” They do not know where he came from or where he is going, but we do!

And while in my life I may not know what the next step is, or my next destination, I know that Jesus knows where I have been, and He still loves me and He knows where I am going, so to me it doesn’t matter if my journey is clear. I know I am in good hands – nail scared ones!