A Difficult Bend in the Road

One year ago I stared in the eyes of the one of the darkest periods of my life.

It was the perfect storm of financial, career and family crisis. It had been years in the making. An enemy lurking on the horizon.

Many issues that had been delayed, postponed and dealt with for too long with eyes closed hoping they would go away rose to the forefront and demanded to be confronted.

The skies were falling and the bleakness of hopelessness was as thick as coastal fog.

“Could this really be happening to us? Why do things seem so unfair?”

Praise God…at the time, our family and friends came to us with hearts of rescue with outstretched hands. They walked with us through the thorny pathways.

But the pain was real. The sleepless nights. The pressing from all around.

What our family didn’t know at the time was these difficult waters were to be one of the most wonderful, transformational times of our lives. We were being prepared by a loving Father for blessings beyond belief.

A deeper reliance on God. The joy of humility. A love of contentment. Freedom from issues of bondage. A profound compassion for others, a softening of our hearts. A closeness of family we had never fully experienced.

We had thought all hope was lost. What we didn’t know is that it was merely a difficult bend in the road.

And just as was the case with those well-meaning friends of Job, those close to us showered us with advice, suggestions for corrections, reasons for our challenges and suffering.

They loved us so  much they wanted us to be fixed right away.

What they didn’t know was it was merely a difficult bend in the road.

We listened to their advice and those of so many others. We prayed through their suggestions including some which were of the world. But always when we did, we heard an affirming voice, “Trust me and do it My way.”

One year removed, and standing from the ledge looking back on the path below, it’s a beautiful spectacle from this perspective. The perfection of God’s plan in the lives of my family is so clear and amazing.

“Trust me and do it My way.”

What we thought was a disaster…was merely a difficult bend in the road.

We needed to stay the course. Hunker down. Hear His voice and keep the faith. From this viewpoint it’s so clear to see the mistakes that would have been made if we had strayed far, jumped off our chosen path.

Yes…there were many lessons. Many corrections. But even in the depth of despair, the voice was clear.

“Trust me and do it My way.”

Are you in that place now? Does life seem unfair, impossible and hope is no where to be seen? Maybe you do have to make serious changes. Radical departures from how you’ve been approaching things. You may be tempted to abandon the faithful life.

But instead seek God in all you do because He has your answers.

Because it may be you’re just encountering a difficult bend in the road.

Looking for more from Michael K Reynolds? You might also enjoy Breathe.

Michael K. Reynolds is a writer with more than two decades of experience in crafting fiction, non-fiction, journalism, copywriting and documentary production. He is represented by Janet Kobobel Grant of Books & Such Literary Agency. He is the author of a series of Irish historical novels published by B&H Publishing Group. These highly acclaimed books are available in bookstores and libraries across the nation and beyond.