Cheeseburgers and Cajun Porta-Potties

I was trying to meet someone at a McDonald's parking lot the other day in a part of town I wasn't familiar with.

Side note - this wouldn't be a very interesting story opening except that if you know me, you know I have zero sense of direction. So already this is a set up for disaster. Let me just TELL YOU how hard it was for me and my friend to find my car in the Century-Link Center arena last weekend leaving the Beth Moore Living Proof Live event. Ohmygoodness....

Well, this particular Mickey D's location was set up off a busy highway-type street and was in one of those awkward positions of either having to pass it up and make a u-turn to come back on the other side of the street, or turn in the turning area too soon and drive the wrong way down the other side of the street just for a second before being able to enter their driveway.

You know what I mean? Don't you despise those set-ups? So frustrating.

Well I decided at lunchtime on a busy Saturday I didn't want to drive the wrong way on a street even for a second, so I was going to opt for the "pass it up and u turn" method, when I realized there was a big parking lot adjoining behind. Sweet! So I whipped into the big open lot two stores/restaurants down prior to McDonalds and went around the back.

Straight to a big concrete curb, fence and construction site.

They didn't connect through after all.

Boo.

That's what I got for assuming.

I was really frustrated at that point, and a little panicky, because I was running late and was supposed to be meeting at McDonalds to meet my ride to drive out of town, and now I was going to have to turn around, go back out on the busy street, and essentially make TWO u-turns to get to McDonalds, in all that weekend traffic.

And I really was just ready for my cheeseburger.

Then, eureka. There WAS a cut-through. A narrow cut-through between the curbs that connected all the way down to McDonalds. YAY! I whipped through, met up with my ride, and out of town we went. Ta-da!

That's not much of a story. I know.

But even in the exact moment that I saw that cut through, I pictured this blog post and what I would write. Because I felt God nudging me with an analogy as He does so much lately. Reminding me that even though I get off course, even though it's SO EASY to take the wrong path due to sin or laziness or fear or guilt or naivety...even though...He can reroute us to get back on the right path. To find our destination that he originally intended for us before our wrong turn or detour.

Even though I assumed. Even though I tried a short cut. Even though I got impatient.

Whatever your "even though" is, God's "even though" is greater, bigger, and stronger. More powerful. More effective. And undeniable. When you humble yourself before Him, admit you were wrong, and set out on the right path, He will make that path straight.

Or in my case, pass right beside a Cajun porta-potty, but that's probably a different analogy...

Relax, friend. It doesn't matter where you are coming from, how crazy the traffic is around you, or how far off the beaten path your detour took you - He is the ultimate GPS system, and he can make a way in your wilderness. He can blaze you a trail back the way you're supposed to go, no problem. Sometimes that road might take you a few miles out of the way, due to consequences. Sometimes that road might whip right back around in no time. Sometimes it might get a little bumpy before it levels out. Sometimes He might carve out a cut-through after all just because of His love and mercy.

But regardless of the condition of it, it's a straight and narrow road. And it WILL get you where He wants you to be!

And THAT's better than a dozen cheeseburgers :)