You can't miss it!

David Wilcox makes an interesting obseravtion about life

"I sometimes write songs that are metaphors.
It's not that I'm trying to, it's more like
...well I'm minding my own business and the
metaphors just jump me you know? And I think
it's because things bug me for metaphorical
reasons. Like bad directions. I hate bad directions.
I'm heading to a concert and I'm supposed to go on
at Seven. And the directions are "go down the road
till you reach (I don't know, something ridiculous)
the really big blue Poodle and turn right. You can't
miss it. And they always say that you can't miss it,
which is the kiss of death. Because then I will be
driving and driving, and I'll think "i must have missed
it. I'll turn back." But they said I can't miss it.
It's just like love. I asked my parents "How will I know
when it's true love?" and what do they say "oh, you'll
know, you'll know." Well that's even worse than "You can't
miss it". Just imagine your 85 years old: No thanks,
not interested. They said that I would know when it was
true love. Besides, I'm still looking for the big blue
Poodle."

I think that there is a fine line between walking God's path and walking our own. We are always making choices, every minute, and we seldom stop and inquire as to what God is saying. And even when He does speak extraordinarily clearly, it is a choice on our behalf to choose the path He directs us onto. I am beginning to think that it is not in our choices alone that we are responsible to God. It is clear throughout human existence in the bible that there is something bigger going on here than just our lives, and our decisions. There is something more important than just our obedience to God. Really I am talking about the attitude of our hearts toward God. Jesus says that the most important qualities a person can have is that they "love God, and love their neighbour." The common thread among most of my friends isn't that they are exceptionally good at this, but that they are trying to become good at it. I often get so bogged down in trying to discern what is the exact will of God in my big decisions, and I assume that he is greatly concerned with my walking the razor's edge that is His will. But where the heck do I get the idea that it's supposed to be this one golden road I am meant to walk every step of the way? It would seem through a closer examination of scripture, the history of Israel, and what I have seen of God in my own life, that He is much more concerned with me becoming a person of Gold. Where ever I go, whatever path I walk, whether it lead me to one place or another, I am called to be light to the world. So I am not entirely concerned that every piece of my living life falls perfectly withing what I temporarily find to be "the will of God for that moment" but instead submit myself to whatever challenges he brings my way, do my best to love God as totally as I can, and similarly to love my neighbour as myself.
This all having been said, I have at different times in my life had such clear and obvious direction from God that it would have been foolish not to have recognized it as such. When He has given me direct guidance I have done my best to obey him. He really is like a Father. Imagine going on a hike with your dad, only your like 9 years old. You walk along with him, and for the most part nothing is said except for the occassional "oh look at that robin, or watch how the squirrel stuffs his face!" But then you reach a cliff with a spectacular view. You're 9 years old, so you march confidently to the edge and start looking down to see how high up you are when your father's voice says "step back from that ledge a bit there will ya?" The whole time he knows that if you started to lose your footing he could grab hold of you and steady you, but the first line of defense is a gentle suggestion. Of course the whole way through this scenario you could make a stupid choice and ignore the obvious danger, and throw yourself off the cliff at great speed, which your earthly father would have no power to remedy most likely. But luckily for us we are the children of a much more powerful Father.
So I leave you with this meditation, and I will continue to wonder where the choices I make meet up with the plans God has. I know he has a plan for each of us, I am just not convinced that he is limitted in his means of acheiving those plans. In the meantime I will do my best to be the type of person he plans for me to be.
God Bless you all.