Along for the Ride

When I was a little girl, riding in the back seat of my parents' car, I never paid attention to where we were going or how we got there.  Even as I began to drive, I only learned the way if I was the one driving.  In college, my friends and I ventured to the town where my Grandparents had lived all my life, but I could not find my way there without calling for directions.  Everyone made fun of me because the route that I had traveled for years was still not familiar to me.

Recently, I attended an event that I would not have normally chosen to attend.  For some reason, I spontaneously accepted, and I found myself spending the evening with a young woman who was also surprised to find herself there.  After an hour in the car together and a chat over dinner, we both recognized the evening as a divine appointment.  With little in common other than our faith, neither of us would have likely sought conversation with the other, but what we discovered was a new friendship and an evening of encouragement.

Early in my spiritual life, I may have treated this occurrence just like riding with my parents.  With little thought to where I was going and how I got there, I would not have recognized the divine appointment.  But with spiritual maturity, I have learned the importance of recognizing God's leading in my life.  I no longer go along for the ride with no thought to he journey, but instead, I look for opportunities to join in on whatever God has place me in the midst of.