“Life is a journey.” What does that mean?

There is a beginning and an end.  That is quite obvious. But what about the in between? How much do we get to decide? How much seems to be decided for us – our “fate”?

Would life really be easier if we had a road map or a GPS setting to show us where we’re going and how to get there?

Instead this journey seems more like an on- foot expedition. I think about the early explorers who had only a vague idea of their destination—which often turned out to be entirely different from their main objective. My own life has changed course a few times, and I know direction will shift again.

I think we need to allow ourselves room to change—not just to grow or move “forward” in our set course, but a shift in direction. Change can be very scary. But it can also be exciting and lead to great liberation. If you’ve long persisted in following one path and you haven’t found what you’re looking for, maybe you just need to shift your direction a little. Make change an option.

Another misconception we seem to have about life is that we can take shortcuts. We can make a decision or commitment and instantaneously land closer to our destination. Or if I hurry up and learn my lessons, I can speed right through the rest of a difficult circumstance. I am presently learning this is not how life works. I cannot rush the journey. I cannot rush it for me, and I most assuredly cannot hurry someone else along in theirs.

Breaking a habit, mindset, or behavioral pattern is not an instantaneous victory. It is a process. Like conquering a mountain, it must be done one step, one decision at a time. Taking on a mountain is no small feat, but it can be done – one step at a time. On the way up, you cannot always see the top, but each stride takes you closer. Any forward motion is progress. Any measure of progress is something to feel good about.

And then there’s the “waiting place.” Even the playful Dr. Seuss refers to this as the “most useless place.” Life is full of waiting. Waiting in lines, waiting for people, waiting for circumstances to change, waiting for hard times to pass . . . oftentimes the waiting seems endless.  It can seem especially interminable when we’re wearing ourselves out doing all we can to fast forward through the waiting.

To add to the frustration of waiting, we’re surrounded by people advising us to learn and grow through our hard times. This does not help me. On the inside I’m screaming, “I’ve grown enough, thank you. Now on to happier times!”

But alas, I cannot always change my circumstances. I have to wait out the season. Every situation in life is for a season. It will eventually change. Sometimes that is just the ounce of hope I need. Sometimes hope is found in the dawn—a new beginning! Other times, it’s found in the sunset—“this too, shall pass.”

As for all those lessons I’m supposed to learn, I’m realizing it’s okay if I don’t get them right away. Much wisdom seems to be gained in looking back on where we’ve been. Or perhaps it comes in an “aha!” moment when random pieces seem to come together and give moments in life greater meaning. But it’s hard to get that kind of perspective when you’re walking through the valley or a dark, dense forest. I think during some seasons in life, we’re meant to journey one step at a time. There are times when that is all I can handle. All I can see is what surrounds me, and I am overwhelmed trying to make sense of that.

But in those darkest moments, I know God is near. I know He will carry me through. He is my refuge, my safe place. He understands my weaknesses. He knows the limitations of my humanity. He—more than anyone else—accepts me as I am.

I’m learning to accept me as I am—accept where I am in this journey, and allow others the same courtesy. I don’t know what someone else has been through. The path of their life will not look like mine. But we can learn from each other, strengthen and encourage each other for the journey.

I think that is what Recovering Grace is all about: learning from each other, and being here to strengthen each other wherever we are at in our own journeys.