Mexico and Straight Lines
Most of you who are reading this probably already know that we just recently cancelled our Lighthouse Mexico Trip because of concerns over the State Department’s recent Travel Warning for Mexico. I find the irony of writing this blog so thick since the last time I wrote here I was proclaiming my excitement for the trip. One of the hardest things about canceling the trip was having to cancel it so close to the departure date… in less than two weeks we would have been on the road in the church vans, eating fast food and preparing ourselves for a week of ministry in Mexico (because those two things definitely go together). Though still disappointing, it might have been easier to handle this decision if it had been made back in January. To get so close to something and then not have it happen is hard.
This morning I rode my bike to church. Now you need to understand the significance of this feat of strength and endurance! First of all, I live all the way out in South Davis! I have to cross over the freeway to get here (that’s a pretty big hill)! Also, I am not really a guy who enjoys exercise. In fact, I might go so far as to say that I enjoy watching episodes of Gilmore Girls more than I enjoy intense aerobic activity (don’t tell Jenni that I said that). But the beautiful weather and my growing desire to be green called me to the bike today… and so I rode!
Soon after leaving my house I decided that it would be fun to ride out to church on the Davis Bike Loop rather than coming straight out to church through downtown. Never having done this before, it seemed like an adventure… following those markers of green paint… maybe it would even be quicker since I wouldn’t have to stop at any traffic lights…
Well in case you were wondering it wasn’t quicker! As I wandered all over the UC Davis campus, around Putah Creek, and through the Married Student Housing, I soon realized that this bike ride was going to take even longer than normal. On one hand I enjoyed myself, taking a new way of getting here, seeing lots of squirrels and birds along the way. At the same time, the practical part of me kept thinking what a stupid idea this was… if my goal is to get to church, why would I waste my time going a different way if it took longer?
As I was thinking of what to write in the blog today, it dawned on me that there was a lesson to be learned in my bike ride. In a similar way to following the Davis Bike Loop, following Jesus often does not include taking the shortest, straightest path. Often following Jesus is going to take us places that don’t make sense or seem counter-intuiative. Often following Jesus is not going to result in life happening in the timing that we think it should happen. But as followers of Jesus, we are called to trust in the path he leads us on, even if it confuses or frustrates us.
So, let’s bring it back to Mexico… obviously we never would have chosen the path of the last two months. If we were to have decided how things would have happened, we would have decided not to cancel the trip or or we would have decided not to start the preparation process in the first place. That would be the logical and practical path. But following Jesus often does not mean taking the most logical or obvious path. Sometimes when the path gets tricky or windy or goes up a hill or takes us somewhere that is a surprise, we just need to slow down and enjoy the ride!
