Have you ever noticed that when you go on a journey, you rarely travel directly from the starting place to the destination?  Roads aren’t made to go straight from town to town.  Walking up a mountain you usually walk a path that weaves back and forth as it climbs.   Even when traveling by airplane, the pilot will fly along a determined flight-path.

When selecting the photo for this site I knew as soon as I saw the photo in the banner it was the one I wanted.  As an illustration, allow me to use the top of the highest point of the mountain as my destination.   But, if I’m following the road to get to that mountain top, the road will take me away from the peak in order to bring me toward it.

That’s the way life sometimes works.  The journey is not always a straight shot to the destination.  In the process of getting to where we want to go it’s normal for us to travel what seems like an alternative route in order to get there.

Our spiritual development is no different.  I don’t want to sound overly simplistic, but it’s easier to accept this principle when we’re in times of positivity.  But when we’re struggling with confusion, frustration or pain – especially when it feels as though we keep coming back to the same points of pain – we don’t really like to hear that we’re on a journey toward maturity.

I’ve spent a lot of years in the progress of process.  Over the years, there were times I was convinced I was about to exit the process and arrive at the destination, yet it continued to elude me.  There were also times during which I felt if there was one more challenge or delay I would crack under the weight of it all, but that didn’t happen either.

I have learned many lessons but there are two that stand out above them all.

1. God is always good. I feel a bit strange putting that down as a lesson because I don’t recall ever doubting this or feeling like he wasn’t being good. But, the lesson I’ve learned is how important it has been for me to acknowledge his goodness even in the most difficult and challenging times.

My relationship with him has grown to new depths through my learning how to worship and honour him as my Good Father in the midst of telling him how painful and confusing things have been.  There were many times I would ask him to intervene and change my circumstances but, through his grace, I was also able to state my willingness to remain in that place if he had more for me to learn.  As those months turned into seasons I grew in deeper love for him and his goodness.

2. The process helped me gain clarity on my goals. A number of years ago I came across Jeremiah 32.39 and asked God to help me become a man of singleness of heart and action so that I would always serve him. Little did I expect the difficulties I would face that would help me refine the affections of my heart.

Back in 1992 God spoke to me very clearly, giving me a vision for life and ministry.  I have held onto those promises and have attempted to live them out as well as I could given the circumstances in which I found myself. The challenges I’ve faced have helped develop perseverance and resilience, bringing a clarity and assurance of who I am and what I want to do.

Now it feels as though I’m coming into the clearing and able to see the top of the mountain.  Maybe I’m experiencing an unwarranted feeling of positivity and the path will, once again, wind back through thickets. Either way, I’ll have a chance to go deeper in my love for God and continue becoming who he intended me to be.