You know I don’t see many of these—church signs that are truly thoughtful. Usually they are damning or judgmental, or just plain stupid. But this one read, “No man ever got lost on a straight road”. I was thinking just how insightful this is—a path that just consists of God and his ways will surely keep you from becoming spiritually lost. But then I realized what one might miss out on if they indeed “travel” in this manner. I thought about the many side roads I’ve taken over the years. Some were uneventful. But others were decidedly adventurous. They weren’t always safe—there were times when I became spiritually lost for sure. There were times when I lost sight of everything completely. But those were also the times when God appeared to work the most in my life—bringing me to where I am now. Even the road to Quakerism was a side one for me. I literally made a wrong turn and drove by a Friends Church, and thus began my life in the world of Friends. I look back on the many turns I took, and God has taught me so much about those times. I frequently use them in my ministry. And to think, if I’d walked a straight path continuously, I’d never have that “baggage” I’d collected along the way—the baggage that makes me who I am as a follower of Christ.
