Monday's Musings: When You're not sure Where the Road is Taking You

by Mary Denman   @MaryDenman

Riding through the mountains recently taught me some profound lessons about life.

Have you ever been on a road when you're not sure where the road is taking you? Not the physical road necessarily, but the road your life is taking. 

You may have an idea of where you're headed. But the road changes or you make a wrong turn. Or maybe you're just along for the ride with someone else in the driver's seat. 

I know I've had times like that in life.


There were unforeseen twists and turns and some very dark times. Times when it felt like the lights went out and I was driving blind. 

There were other times though, when I was on the mountaintop, looking out over life and enjoying every minute of it.

Stormy clouds ahead.

Life never stays the same. 

And we can't always predict what will happen. 

Sometimes, we make choices with unforeseen consequences. 

Or we find ourselves in a dark tunnel, wondering when and where we'll come out of it. Or we see stormy clouds ahead. 

One thing I have found is that there is an end to every tunnel and the light seems blinding when I pop out of it. 

We have some rocky roads in life.

That's not to say that there aren't trials in life that have long-lasting effects. A rocky road that keeps keeps us on the edge of our seat, hoping we don't slide off the mountainside. Or one that makes us slow way down to maintain proper traction. We may want off of those roads, but we can learn so much while we're on them. 

We definitely have hard times. Loss of a child, spouse, parent. Separations, depression. Physical problems. Some trials last a lifetime. 

But while these are all common to us at one point or another, there is hope.

Hope of a new day. 

Hope of seeing beauty come from the ashes. 

Hope of a gorgeous view that takes our breath away. 

Moments of profound joy in the midst of the sorrow. 

Moments of seeing God work in the midst of the pain. Knowing he understands and will walk with us. 

After my mom's death, I felt grief like I'd never felt before. Her loss was devastating to me. I felt like I was driven into a dark tunnel with no way out. I couldn't fathom not having my mom there. Then, two weeks later, we buried my father-in-law. I can't tell you how painful that was. 

Life is a blur sometimes.

Then, two weeks later, our eldest daughter got married. Talk about a bittersweet time. We love our son-in-law and were happy for their marriage. But it was brutal to bury two parents right before the wedding. 

Life was a blur.

Now, 2 1/2 years later, I'm gaining perspective. I still long to talk to my mom. I'ld love to see my father-in-law again. But I've accepted that they're gone. Some days, better than others. 

The sun shines through.

I see more in life to get excited about.

I've learned to live with the loss and keep looking forward, for the next curve in the road to see what's beyond. 

To catch a glimpse of the sun through the trees and enjoy the warmth and color of life. 

To realize that I need to keep moving forward. To keep looking ahead. 

To know that it's okay to grieve and keep living. 

To know my mom would want that. 


So where do you find yourself on your journey? 
Do you have soaring views of great beauty or is your road a bit rocky at the moment?

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When You're not sure Where the Road is Taking You

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