Unforseen Paths

For the past few months, I feel like I have been taken for a wild ride - never knowing what might be behind the next twist or bend in the road. Every time I think I have it all figured out, I come across another unexpected surprise that leaves me wondering what I was thinking in the first place. This pattern is not new to me. I have experienced it on several occassions throughout my life - usually in the wake of big decisions. It is usually accompanied by an internal stuggle between what I want to do, and what I feel like the Lord wants me to do, which are not always in agreement. As we have already established, I tend to over-think things and usually end up analyzing life through the lense of logic. If I had to use one word to describe myself, it may very well be PRACTICAL. However, what I have learned through the experiences described above is that the Lord's plan for my life is not always practical, and it often defies logic. I was reading in President Monson's biography a few weeks ago, and came across a quote that spoke to me:

"The wisdom of God oft times appears as foolishness to men. But, the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right."

How true that is! The trick is figuring out when God is speaking. I am grateful for the experiences in my life that have taught me how to recongnize the voice of the Spirit, but sometimes it is still tricky, especially when the instructions don't make logical sense. I want it all spelled out for me, but sometimes the Lord requires that we act in faith, not knowing exactly how things will turn out in the end, or why it is that we are being asked to do a particular thing. We are facing decisions now that I would not have even considered feasible a few months ago. But, I am absolutely convinced that the hand of the Lord has been guiding us all along. I'm still not sure how things will end up, or what exactly is in store for our family. All I know is that we are being led down an unforseen path - one that requires faith and willingness to follow Him into the darkness, trusting that the path will be illuminated one step at a time. It requires me accepting that I don't need to know everything all at once - that things will fall into place one piece at a time - as they have done in the past and continue to do now. Another one of my favorite quotes gives me peace:

"When you come to the end of everything you know, and the next step is into the darkness of the great unknown, you must believe one of two things: either you will step onto firm ground, or you will be taught to fly." Author Unknown