The Joy in the Journey
Have you ever had the thought, “If I only could see the big picture, I would be at peace” or “if God would only show me the destination, the path forward would feel so much easier”? I think we have all felt that way at one time or another. High schoolers may feel that way about choosing a college or career path, single people wonder about getting married, and those in recovery long for a timeline and a place of freedom. Inquiring minds want to know, “where are we going? How long will it take? What is the path from here to there? Is that even what I want?” While it is not wrong to want the bigger picture, often that is not how life works. Our human minds yearn for clarity and understanding. We think that if we just had a little more information, it would make all the difference in our journey. God in His love and wisdom knows just the opposite. The truth is our human minds cannot handle a bird’s eye view of our lives.
If God had told me five years ago that I would be leading prayer groups and speaking to women about body image issues, I would have frozen in place. “No thank you, God. That is about the last thing I see myself doing or have any desire to do, ever.!” I was right in the middle of the hardest part of my recovery journey. I could not see past tomorrow let alone think about the future. Yet here I am five years later and love every minute of it! Do you see how gracious God is? He shields us from our own humanity. The Father simply takes our hand and leads us one step at a time. With our fingers interlocked with His, He walks beside us transforming us, speaking truth to us, loving on us to keep our eyes fixed on Him. As we walk and talk, we trust His lead one step at a time even through the thorny patches or muddy puddles. Then suddenly He stops and shifts our gaze. “Look where we are,” He says. Friends, it is breathtaking.
The place He has picked out for each of us is different because it is just as unique at you are. If God shows us where we are going, one of two things can happen. We are either excited about the destination and try to run ahead and create our own path. Or, if the place He is taking us fills us with fear or is overwhelming, we freeze in place and refuse to move. In both options, we miss the journey. There is joy in the journey when we walk with Jesus. The joy in the journey is discovering more of Him with every shaky step we take. The joy in the journey is learning to trust that our failures are just as valuable to Him as our successes, and we can trust Him with both. The joy in the journey is learning to celebrate small victories and giving ourselves grace when our flesh gets the best of us. The joy in the journey is trusting that He is the Giver of good gifts, and this journey is the gift. As hard and painful as recovery can be on most days, it is also beautiful and amazing because of where it leads and Who is leading. The Gentle Shepherd lights our path one step at a time and invites us to trust Him and take the next step forward.
Follow Jesus one step at a time and you will get to your destination… and it will blow your mind.
“Your word is like a lamp to my feet and light for my way.” - Psalm 119:105 (ICB)
"The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need. He gives me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. For the good of his name, he leads me on paths that are right. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me." - Psalm 23:1-3 (ICB)
- Tammy Boyd
FINDINGbalance Prayer Group Coordinator & Group Leader. Mom of Boys. Family Chauffeur. Lover of Laughter. Community Creator. Freedom Chaser. Overcomer.
FINDINGbalance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing non-clinical support and encouragement to those battling food issues. The contents of this blog article, including any attachments, are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe a particular course of action. If you or someone you care about is battling an eating disorder, please seek care from a licensed professional. If you are in crisis and need immediate support, please call, text, or chat 988 to speak with someone at the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7.
