My friend’s coworker has launched a new exciting blog, The Invisible Gazebo, and decided to host a blog party, which I think is a unique and brilliant way to celebrate a new endeavor. The plan was for me to drive to my friend’s house, and we would ride together to the party. Well, rather than drive on the highway, I decided to take the back roads route – a route I have not driven in a long time. I recalled at some point, I would see a sign to turn left onto the road that would lead me directly to my friend’s house.
The shorter version of this story is that I never saw the sign that I was looking for. Why? Well, apparently some genius city planner/DOT specialist/person who doesn’t know that I am methodical decided to place a traffic signal at the intersection where I was expecting to see a 4-way stop! Didn’t anyone tell them that I have no sense of direction, and need specific directions in order to arrive at my destination?! We were one hour late for the party because of my mishap. But wait, there’s more…
Once I was led in the right direction by two men at the second gas station where I stopped for directions, I saw where I had erred. I knew where I was trying to go, but could not see beyond my expectations of how to get there. This caused me to overlook what had changed. The pathway was the same, but the signs were different.
What’s more, there were signs to lead me in the right direction, but I failed to notice and missed the opportunity to be on the right road sooner. The good thing was that I made the decision to go in the right direction, rather than insist that my way was best. Good because with that attitude, I would have ended up at the Atlantic Ocean!
How many times do we make the same mistake about our lives? We develop expectations based on what is familiar, and fail to recognize the changes that have taken place. The key is to not allow those changes to knock us off balance. We must remain determined, centered, and persistent. Eventually, we will arrive. It might be an hour, one day, or one year later, but we will arrive. And, when we get there, we can celebrate and enjoy the company of those who are there to share in our joy. Just like we did at The Invisible Gazebo!
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” -- Jimmy Dean
“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do — not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Great advice on adjusting. I have had so many of those similar things happen to me. I am methodical as well. Change is inevitable and we must adjust to it. It is a challenge when you are used to following a specific path and then in mid stream, sometimes without much warning the path abruptly changes. The bible says there is nothing we go through that someone else has not gone through. Good to follow the example of people who have experienced the same type of challenges in life. God bless you. Suggestion for a future blog: I would love to see an article on procrastination that includes the signs and how to overcome it, and how to let go of the things that you have procrastinated about and move forward with scriptural references.
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