Census taking in rural America is quite an adventure. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been one of those pesky people knocking on your door to ask for information you would prefer not to share. Some responses have been interesting, some pretty normal, some insulting and others quite bizarre.
I’ve driven approximately 60-80 miles a day looking for “grey house on CR-4140” or “RR 1 – no mailbox – brick home” or my personal favorite “FM-1550 house in pasture”. We have been given “pin drop” coordinates which I do believe were chosen by a game of pin the tail on the donkey. It would be an understatement to say this has been a challenge. There are dogs, gates, chained gates, barbed wire fences and lots of tall tall grass to wade through.
There has been A LOT of passing by and backing up and passing by and 3 point turns. In fact, my backing skills may be better than the average bear at this point. Three point turns have become 6 point turns after lots of practice (they used to be 9).
Imagine this scene…One day I had to take the big truck due to car issues. The big truck is a BIG truck. It is an F-350 long bed dually and not really that easy to maneuver in tight (and not so tight spaces)…it is 25 feet of truck. So…I’m going down this county road and about a mile in find the bridge is out. Even in the truck there is no crossing this spot. There are two options at this point. Backing the big truck a mile down a gravel and dirt road or attempting a 327 point turn. I opted for the turn because the road was not horribly narrow like most county roads and because my decision making skills are not always the best.
Anyways…it only took a 329 point turn and about 30 minutes before me and the big truck were turned around and on our way back from whence we had come. And it got me thinking. How often is that like our life? We putter along enjoying the view thinking everything is going just dandy and then WHOA!!! FULL STOP!!! We knew where we are headed but the unexpected brings us to a standstill. The road we had so clearly chosen is no longer viable.
What do we do? How do we react? Where do we turn?
As we journey through this life the unexpected will happen. Jobs will come and go. Cancer will strike someone we love. Death will happen. Friendships will not survive challenges. Marriages will struggle and some may end. Our faith may be challenged beyond what we feel capable of overcoming. When we look into the abyss that is before us, decisions must be made. We must ask ourselves…What does God want me to want? What does God want me to need?
God wants me to want Him.
God wants me to need Him.
Satan wants to lure us into believing we have nowhere to turn. He wants us to believe that pain, struggle, hopelessness, indecision, doubt and fear are the only options we have. He is wrong.
God says “Back away, come to Me, I’ll show you a better way”.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
When life threatens to overwhelm…back up with confidence.
God is waiting for you.
Listen to His Voice,
Lee Ann
