I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how God guides me through uncertainty. The image I get is one of breadcrumbs being laid down along a path. Each breadcrumb is a little bit of reassurance and confirmation that I am headed in the right direction. A breadcrumb could be an encouraging scripture or word from a friend. It could be an affirmation of my gifting or positive feedback on something I have created or delivered. It could be a fresh opportunity or even something miraculous and unexpected. Sometimes the breadcrumb that reassures me is knowledge of negative consequences I might have experienced if I had chosen a different way.
When I don't see any breadcrumbs for a while, I get anxious and wonder if I made a wrong turn. God doesn't provide them at regular, predictable intervals. For reasons that are challenging for me to understand, God sometimes makes me go a long distance in between breadcrumbs. Then, just before I turn back, a fresh breadcrumb appears, and my confidence is restored.
I have also missed plenty of breadcrumbs. I only know because other people pointed out to me that I walked right past without noticing them. God left me a gift on the path, and I was too preoccuplied to see it. It may have been a blessing that didn't look like I expected it to look. It may have come at a time that I wasn't ready for it. It may have seemed too small to matter but then became crucial to helping me find my way.
Discerning God’s will is hard. He certainly could give me direction via a giant neon sign, but if He did, it wouldn’t take nearly as much trust to follow Him. I would learn to wait for the neon sign before I took any action. There would be less risk, but there would also be less faith.
With breadcrumbs, I have to learn to keep walking the path between them. I have to keep taking steps even when there is no confirmation that I’m headed in the right direction. I have to discern whether each breadcrumb is really from God or just something that fell off a kid’s sandwich.
Sometimes, I pick up a breadcrumb and ask, “Is this you, God? Did you put this here?” He doesn’t usually answer. I have to choose whether or not to attribute the breadcrumb to God, and it’s risky. What if it was just a coincidence or wishful thinking on my part. Or what if it was something from the Enemy and designed to lead me in the wrong direction? That job offer that comes with a great salary but requires 50% travel - part of God’s plan or Satan’s? How about the volunteer opportunity that will give me great connections in the field I want to pursue but requires a signifiant time commitment that pulls me away from building my business? Or what about a friend's prophetic word from God that resonates with my deepest desires - trust it or mistrust it?
Each of these choices are object lessons God uses to train me. Whether I make the “right” or “wrong” choice is less concerning to Him than that I learn from the experience. A “wrong” or less optimal choice is often more valuable than a “right” choice, because its lesson is very sticky. I won’t quickly forget it, and I’ll probably be mining gold for decades out of the pain it put me through.
It’s my conviction that God values process over outcomes. From His perspective, the outcome is certain. He already knows where I will end up, and He knows that “...He who began a good work in (me) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
However, the process to get me there is not predetermined. God graciously allows me to choose which way to go all along the way. Often, my choices are a departure from His optimal path, but this never causes Him to throw up His hands in frustration or consternation. He always knows how to get me back on the way that leads to completeness in Christ. I imagine Him saying,
“That was an interesting choice, Michael. Let’s see what this detour has to teach you. Recalculating route..."
He patiently takes the detour with me and lays out a new trail of breadcrumbs to get me back on track.
Knowing that God is fully capable of completing His good work in me, it’s easier to choose which way to go when I can’t see the breadcrumbs. I am learning to just choose the best option with the information I have and to trust that God will join me on the path and help me find my way back if I’m headed in the wrong direction.
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
~ Deuteronomy 31:8
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