Gail's Birthday Thoughts: A Bend in the Road

Gail shares this devotion on YouTube HERE.

I usually share a more personal devotion on my birthday and make it longer than one minute. And since I turned seventy-three today (7-18-24), today's devotion will take you two to three minutes to read. See Gail's Birthday Devotions for previous years.

Hebrews 11:8-10 talks about Abraham living his whole life “like a stranger in a foreign country” looking forward to his eternal home with God. And 1 Peter 2:11 reminds us that we’re “temporary residents and foreigners” here on earth so we shouldn’t get sidelined by worldly values.   

God has taught me this truth in a very practical way. Some of you know from previous devotions that I moved over twenty times before age twelve and over twenty times since getting married. I’ve lived as far west as California, as far east as New Jersey, as far north as North Dakota, and as far south as Florida, plus three years in “West Germany” (1979-82) and five years in Hungary. 

I understand what it’s like to be a “temporary resident and foreigner,” never quite fitting in, without long-time friends or family nearby. It can be difficult at times, but my husband and I believe God has sent us where He wanted us, to teach us things we needed to learn and to minister to others. 

God doesn’t call everyone to a nomadic life like ours, but He wants all of His children to understand that this earth is not our home. Whatever hardships we face here are insignificant compared to where we’re going. And when our lives on Earth are done, we’ll no longer be aliens and strangers. We’ll be home with our Lord and with our true family. Please read 2 Corinthians 5.

Recently, my husband and I have faced some difficulties as we’ve been seeking God’s will. Things haven't gone smoothly and finding God’s path has been challenging. It's not the first time this has happened in our lives. God has often taken us down another path than we expected, and we've grown stronger and been blessed by these “detours.” See Divine Detours.

If you have Wisdom for Life, I encourage you to read or reread Day 21: God's Unseen Footprints. It explains one of those blessings that wasn't obvious in our planning.

There's no denying that this process can be a bit confusing and even unsettling at times.

I shared some of my concerns with my friend Ginny,* a woman who has experienced many unexpected challenges in her walk with the Lord. She sent me this poem. It blessed me and I pray it will bless you, too, no matter what challenges you are facing. 

A Bend in the Road 

by Helen Steiner Rice 

Together we stand at Life's Crossroads 

And view what we think is the end, 

But God has a much bigger vision 

And he tells us it's only a bend 

For the road goes on and is smoother, 

And the "pause in the song" is a "rest," 

And the part that's unsung and unfinished 

is the sweetest and richest and best 

So rest and relax and grow stronger, 

let go and let God share your load, 

Your work is not finished or ended, 

You've just come to a "Bend in the road."

* Ginny is one of my heroes and I'm so blessed to have her as a friend. 

If you want to read a bit about her background, see When Hardship Is a Privilege. I've also written about Ginny in Backdoor Miracles.

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