- Hogback Mt at sunrise
This morning started about 4 am for me and my family as we got ready to head out to Upstate New York for our 20th college reunion. It started out ok, but quickly got worse as the unexpected delays began. The original plan was to be out of the house no later than 5am so we could be at the reunion by 1pm. Well, as you can imagine, that plan was short-lived. By time we left the house, it was 5:30am. However, as we got underway, it dawned on us that we forgot to withdraw money from the bank for tolls. So, an unexpected trip to the bank put us another 15 minutes behind. Then there was the intense fog, which slowed us down even more. The darkness of the early morning hour only seemed darker with all the perceived distractions and setbacks.
However, all hope was not lost. something wonderful happened as we proceeded from New Hampshire where we live through the mountains of Vermont. It just so happens that halfway across the state, we arrived at the summit of Hogback Mountain. Due to all the delays, we happened to reach the summit just as the sun was coming up. From the top, it is said you can see for 100 miles down into Massachusettes and over to Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. The sky was clear, the air brisk (about 36 degrees), and the view was downright breathtaking! It was at that moment that it dawned on me how we would have missed that incredible view had it not been for the so-called inconveniences earlier during the pre-dawn hours. At that point, I had to apologize to God for my poor attitude and complaining. The sights made it all worthwhile.
However, there was still the matter of time lost, not that I cared so much anymore. We still had to stop off for at one pit stop along the way and to get some breakfast at that popular Golden Arches place (which I need not say would delay us a little more). Well, the food was decent and the travel was awesome with clear blue skies the whole way. And as for the 1pm arrival time, let’s just say we got detoured trying to follow a Google map which cost us another 25 minutes which caused us to pull in to the college at … ummh … 12:15pm! (that’s 45 minutes AHEAD of schedule for all the mathematically challenged). God is so good!! We had a great time catching up with old friends and the weather was beautiful (even though they called for rain, which did come but after we left the reunion).
As I sit here now in the motel room at 12:35 am thinking back on the day, I can’t help but think how much today resembles life in general. We so often have the best laid plans. We do all within our power to accomplish what we feel needs to be accomplished, only to come up short. Worse yet, it always seems to take place in the midst of dark times in our lives. We spit and sputter, whine and complain, unsure why everything seemed to go wrong… only to get blind-sighted by yet another setback. The fog gets thicker and thicker making it harder to see God in the midst of it all.
But the truth is to be known, that as we look back, we can see that through the difficulties — or perhaps in spite of them — God brings a blessing as a result when the sun begins to rise again that makes the previous circumstances worth while. And somehow, someway, God manages to bring a season of peace and restore back to us that which “the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25).
Be careful not to so quickly cast judgment on your circumstances. God is much bigger … and oh yeah … He is still on the throne. Just give Him every moment, and see what He will do! He truly does look after and care for His own. Just trust Him.
May the Son rise on your day and may God’s blessings be yours in abundance.
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