Off the Beaten Path

We visited family out of town for the day.  It's a lovely day trip spent driving down a "Very Private Road"- the road sign after you turn the curb to my husband's family house.  (How private?  Very.) We were there by the river, in a quiet beautiful setting in a home with no computer, no Internet, and no car noise.  It also includes a lunch out to one of the only restaurants in town.  It is a complete change of pace and a different path than us jet setter big city folk. (haha)

The day ended needing some dinner.  Where else than the Wendy's Wilco fine dining establishment. Pure class right there, folks.  Because, really, we have this new van and haven't worked on our fast food napkin stash. (An important piece of any minivan in case you're wondering.)

And we're sitting there and all my favorite whiny songs came on.  You know, the ones where you can have a pained squinty look on your face, belt that bad boy out with sheer emotion.  Include hand motions and your got yourself a fun situation.  "Last Christmas I gave you my heart and the very next day you gave it away…"  Well it was so uncanny that my oldest said, "mom, it's almost like they knew you were coming.  This is the perfect playlist."  Yes honey, it was.

Much to my surprise my husband joined me in the last song.  "God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you."  And we were off key together and no one cared.  I felt blessed he has changed.  He has changed and will crazy sing with me.  (Progress and prayers. 11 1/2 years of my hard work right there. The girls thought it was awesome and I just know I am the weird mom in a few years.  Just give it a few.  Treasure it, ok.  I am treasuring this.)

I'm studying and reading about Jesus this Christmas season.  He's real.  He's good.  He's here.  He wants us, warts and all as my mom would say.  John the Baptist proclaimed to prepare the way of the Lord- make straight paths for him.  I've learned "path" in Greek is "tribos"- "a beaten pathway."

I am thinking about my forts in the woods growing up and the path through the branches we took to get there.  Saturday morning bliss at our neighborhood creek.  Paths only known to us, so we thought.  Other beaten paths I've once gone down reluctantly or happily.  "Very Private" roads traveled.  Places made clearer with time, experience, repetition.

This reminds me to make a path for God to come and work in my life.  To beat down the branches of clutter inviting Him to do the heavy lifting.  He doesn't ask for perfection, just attention: to make it my practice to approach him over and over again, so when he's ready to do a new work, the path is clear, ready for him to move, wherever I am.

My question, my prayer and my hope is that I'm making space for God.  Clearing the path.  Getting ready for glorious things to happen, because He truly wants to be all in.