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“You are not your past; you are the resources and capabilities you gather from it. And that is the basis for all new beginnings.” – Unknown Country roads are notorious for scenic twists and turns. I’ve driven my share of back roads, slowing my German car to ogle rustic farmhouses atop the rolling hills of eastern Ohio. Early one morning, after pushing through many challenges, I’d driven to familiar back roads, the silence in my car the only music needed to heal a troubled mind. At some point, I’d found myself crying. Perhaps exhaustion had set in from trying to resolve problems. Or perhaps I was tearful because I finally felt I could release the pain in a safe environment—an environment free of the responsibility leaders sometimes feel for those around them. I should’ve spotted the reflective sign sooner from the car’s headlights. Instead, through blurry vision, I’d entered a lengthy detour meant for the locals. After five minutes, the panic set in. Gone was the security of familiar surroundings. And the GPS? Full of missteps as it directed me further into the low secluded valleys. I’m sure you know that feeling. The feeling of being out of control. The feeling that all you thought you knew was now on a mysterious autopilot with your destination: Unknown. And the element of country drives that provides such quaint beauty? Well, that charm can quickly turn bittersweet when a person or business is not anywhere in sight to ask for help. As a person of faith, I should’ve instantly leaned on every theme I’d presented in my work to readers, but no, I was without a safety net. No companions with me. No cell phone service. No correctly working GPS. Just me, the car, a half tank of gas, my heart racing, and…. God. But I couldn’t think of Him now. Instead, I pulled to the side of the road, gasping. You fool, I chastised myself. Why didn’t you fill up the tank beforehand? Why didn’t you pay attention to the detoured warning signs? Why had you embarked on a journey so early without proper mapping? Now, I had no control of my destination. None. Or so I thought. What I did have control of was my mind. Would I allow doubts to crush the truth of what I knew in my heart? In my spirit? And that truth was that Jesus knew exactly where I was on the map. I was not lost to Him. That one reminder, THE one reminder, cut through my distress enough to steady my breathing. To bring back a semblance of hope. Think, Karina, I told myself. Think on Him. Start the car and drive forward again. He’s got you. Somewhere on that second trek of being lost, I began to relax. Something had changed. Certainly not the unfamiliar road ahead of me, but something else. Could it be that I had given in to my present circumstance after finding myself in an unplanned direction? This morning felt like so many aspects of my life’s journey. Starting in one direction and ending in another. And then, when faced with how life turned out compared to how I thought it would turn out, I felt lost. Yet had I ever been truly adrift in life, or even now in this vehicle? After driving down another steep hill, dawn rapidly approached as I followed the road back up, up, up until reaching its peak. And this time, my breath caught. Not from fear but from the sheer glory surrounding me. The morning’s tender dew, lying wet on top of blades of grass in pastures as far as the eye could see, shimmered in the rising sun’s glow with a brilliance as if a million diamonds had been flung from God’s own hand. Stunned, I parked my car, shutting the engine off. Had being “lost” really taken me here? To this place of breathtaking grandeur? Just like your life, the sweetest words seemed to impress upon me. You may think you’re lost. You might think your life detoured into paths you’d never expected but guess what? You were never lost. You were never without hope of what lies ahead. Remember, every new beginning happens only when something ends. I opened my car door, stepping out and into the warm glow of a new day. Sure, I knew next time, I’d plan more accordingly for a road trip, but today, today was different. Today, I’d learned that no matter how life may veer off from a person’s goal, that God will bring you to a better place than before. A place full of wonder. A place of new beginnings… I breathed deeply, turning as a young woman walking her dog appeared from seemingly nowhere. “You lost?” she asked, smiling as her dog tugged her towards me. “A lot of cars stop here thinking they’re lost, but the road loops and brings you back to the detour sign that took you here.” “Is that so?” I laughed, shrugging. “Yeah. That was me too.” Bending down, I patted the cute terrier wagging its tail by my shoe, then straightened, and turned back to the pastures which by now had dried from the risen sun. “The best sunrises are up here,” she said. “Not many would see one if they didn’t take the detour.” “I’m so glad I did,” I nodded, thanking her before they continued their stroll. Closing my eyes, I sighed. “Thank you, Lord,” I whispered, grateful for all I’d come to experience on a journey I’d originally thought was lost. A journey full of twists and turns, panic, and fear, but one in which He’d carried me through to an unexpected outcome…an outcome awaiting me with the brilliance of a million jewels, an outcome bursting with peace and hope…an outcome gifted to every person in the promise of new beginnings. ~Karina Garrison
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