When Life Doesn’t Go The Way You Planned...

Yesterday, as Pastor Randall wrapped up the amazing “Even If” series from the Book of Ruth, I was reminded of a cold, dismal December morning when we drove to Vanderbilt Hospital for my 30th and final round of radiation. Over the past thirty days, nothing much had changed; the diagnosis remained terminal gastric cancer, with a life expectancy of eight to twelve months.

I remember thinking, “This isn’t what I planned for myself at 39 years old."

Weak and depressed, I rested my head against the passenger side window. About that time, Jean turned on the radio, and Dr. Jeremiah, who was then battling lymphoma, began reading the poem "The Bend in the Road” by Helen Steiner Rice.

When life isn’t going the way you thought it would, remember God is just getting you back on the path to living the great life He planned for you.

During this season of life, if things aren’t going as you had hoped, I pray that the words from “The Bend in the Road” will, as they did for me, help you find rest and strength in God. Trust that a smoother and better path lies ahead once these difficulties pass.