Freeways get upgraded and are constantly changing to accommodate the burgeoning population of Melbourne. I haven’t been through the maze of reconstruction between the Bolte Bridge and Montague Street until recently.
As I returned from the airport after dropping a friend off, and chatting with my wife, as one does, the familiar road seem to change before me. I missed some of the signage because my conversation was more intriguing.
In a moment of confusion, I wasn’t sure that I was in the correct lane or indeed on the right path for my exit. I couldn’t see clearly. With heavy traffic all around and big unforgiving trucks flanking me, my options were greatly limited.
Have you ever been in a place where you don’t know which way to turn?
Either you panic or you can draw deep from within your soul a sense of calmness and peace… with a clear head a good decision can be made. All else must be put aside… the conversation, the trucks, lack of signs… a prayer of “Help!” and the way forward is made clear.
In everyday life, we must make decisions. Critical decisions need to be weighed a little longer and deeper.
For me, Jesus modelled a brilliant way:
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
Mark 1:35-38
Notice two things here. 1. Jesus “went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” and 2. As a result, He took a change in direction, “Let us go somewhere else… preach there also” and clarity of vision, “That is why I have come“.
It is good to have the habit of setting time aside to think and pray. Whatever works best for you. For me, I enjoy the early morning before the distractions of the day set in. When important decisions need to be made… I have a place already prepared to work on it. What do you do?
Oh, and if you are wondering about how I survived the changed freeway… suffice to say, I’m back home to tell the story 😉