THE END IS NOT YET

See that ye be not troubled...the end is not yet (Matthew 24:6)

Last night, we were on our way to prayer meeting. We were on the road where we needed to make a right turn unto the street where the church was. From my vantage point, I could read the street signs (though I didn't know which street we were supposed to turn on by name).

As we made our way down, the children and I were looking for the red fire hydrant with the orange top (the town is full of two-colored hydrants, this one being the most unique).

After a while, my husband thought that we had passed the church. He asked if we had passed Beverly yet. I remembered seeing that street name and spoke up. He kept going. As we passed landmarks we remembered seeing three days ago, he kept verbalizing that he didn't remember it being this far down. I concurred. He kept driving. I was becoming anxious and eventually annoyed. He wondered aloud if we should turn around. I responded in irritation, "a long time ago." He kept driving. Silence in the car! The children were no longer looking for the orange-top fire hydrant, but were now helping us to find the church.

Then one of the children said, "there it is" and lo and behold, there it was, not on Beverly, but on Berkeley. Man was I embarrassed and humbled!

Spiritual lessons jumped out at me that I wanted to share. Solomon says, "a fool learns from his own mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others." (my parents paraphrase). [Please share the text if you know which one I'm referencing]

1. Know where you're going before you try to get there -- it gives you a definite goal to try to attain and makes your journey less stressful; The journey is already laid out for us, we just need to re-familiarize ourselves with it (Genesis to Revelation)

2. Don't assume that the other person (man or woman) knows where they are going, regardless of their vantage point, position or confidence (Psalm 118:8)

3. Trust your instinct (the Holy Spirit) -- He'll never lead you astray (John 16:13; all of John Chapters 14-16)

4. With everyone working on one accord like the disciples, the work becomes more fruitful (Acts 2:1-11, 2:38-41, 2:44-47, 5:12-14 and many more)

5. A little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6)

6. Be humble enough to admit when you're wrong (Matthew 11:4)--BTW, I did do that

7. There are many distractions, false roads, and "bumps" along the way (2 Corinthians 11:26), but don't give up--the end is not yet (Matthew 10:22)

The end goal is Heaven, where eternal life is the reward. The journey is our daily lives and interactions with others. This journey is no joke. It is hard, especially without a reliable trusted guide. The character does not get transformed overnight.

"Sanctification is the work of a lifetime." [Please share the reference if you know it]