“Oh no!” I sighed as I pressed my nose and hands against the glass.
My family and friends had just gotten off the subway, but I failed to get off in time. I was still aboard, speeding to an unknown location in a foreign country. As the train pulled away, I looked back at them in sheer terror. Where was I going? The subway car was packed with people whose words I did not understand. I panicked and prayed for God's help.
When the subway finally halted at the next station, I was afraid to stay on the train but more afraid to get off. I made a mad dash for the door without taking time to think. Pushing through the crowd, I wondered how I would get back to the others. I had no idea and no one to ask. Still not knowing what to do, I prayed: “Dear God, please show me the way.”
I am sure everyone knew I was a tourist when they saw the panic on my face. Two teenage girls who spoke English noticed me and asked if they could help. After I explained my dilemma, they offered to accompany me back to my family at the last station. I was so grateful for their help. What a reunion when we pulled into the station, and I could see those familiar faces waiting for me. After such a traumatic experience, I vowed never to let my family or friends out of my sight again.
Some detours are just an inconvenience on the way forward. Others cause us to go in the wrong direction entirely. The latter requires turning around and going back to the beginning again.
Being separated from loved ones in a foreign country made me think about my life before I knew Jesus Christ. I was alone and headed in the wrong direction. God sent His Son, Jesus, to show me the way. The way back is toward the Father’s love and forgiveness.
If you are headed in the wrong direction, God is waiting to show you the way back to Himself.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Patricia Doucet is a wife, mother, artist, church pianist, and women’s Bible study leader. Her most recent endeavour is podcast guesting. Also an inspirational speaker and writer, she encourages mid-life women who find themselves in the basement of life to never give up. Having experienced brokenness on many levels in her own life, she knows how it feels to look for a way out and a hand up. With vulnerability, humor, and compassion, she shares that it is possible to show up in the world as the woman you were created to be, having been beautifully put back together.
Her writing can also be found on her website: www.frombrokentobeloved.com.