Diversion Alert!

Life is like taking a drive on the road to Hana.

My husband and I recently vacationed on the island of Maui, Hawaii. While there we undertook the experience of the one “must do” excursion on the island – drive the road to Hana.

The anticipated journey began early one morning as we set out in our rented Jeep, recommended guide book in hand referencing all the points of interest (and the hazards) along the way. The drive which, by the way, is an all-day event to traverse the 40-some miles of narrow road, one-lane bridges (46 to be exact) just wide enough for a Jeep, and endless curves - not literally, of course, just 600 curves plus or minus…double that for round trip!

With this excursion, it’s more about the journey than the destination.

Now I have to admit, when I write I get a little thrill when finding the perfect word, and Hana is the perfect word for this particular journey. In Hawaiian it means work, and in Japanese it means beautiful. If you drive the road to Hana you will find it’s the perfect fit. The work required to maneuver the curves, at the same time does not fail to provide the beauty of stunning views and magnificent scenery; or, the little unexpected surprises around certain corners. None of which can be adequately described or justified through description or photos. It must be experienced.

However, at the same time, the road to Hana is not for the faint of heart. Many choose, for fear of the potential treachery of the narrow road and windy curves, not to make the drive and never experiencing the beauty of the journey. They have truly missed out believing the risk is not worth the reward.

So, up for the challenge, my husband and I, with the direction of the guide, set out knowing mile by mile what lay ahead and proceeded picking and choosing our points of interest along the way. Intrigued and unable to resist, we made certain stops the book called “Diversion Alerts!” happy to accept the penalty of added time those stops produced (hey, we were in Hawaii!). We found some of those excursions to be more rewarding than others. But then isn't that how journeys go?

Finally arriving at Hana, we found a less than fulfilling end to the journey (the guide had warned us). Hana is an uninteresting village having no main street or town center – not even a shop to purchase the requisite “I Survived the Road to Hana” T-shirt. It is hardly the "paradise" one would expect considering the drive to get there, leaving us asking ourselves, This is it?! Then again, as I said, we'd been warned.

Life is like that drive. And yet, for believers, unlike the road to Hana, it's about both the journey and the destination.

God is wanting to do a beautiful work in us as we make life's journey. It is His desire we trust the narrow road, winding curves and single lane bridges are worth the time involved because there is beauty to be had along the way and awaiting at the end. What He has prepared for us at the end of our journey will not leave us asking, Really, is this all there is?, because Paradise actually is awaiting those who have allowed Christ to be their guide.

In addition, guide Book God has provided both forewarns us of the hazards ahead and assures us of the beauty along the way as well. He encourages us to be on guard never knowing when we will encounter those one-lane bridges slowing us down and eliciting caution, or what we will discover around the next curve, or when we will face something head-on along the narrow road leaving no room to pass. Sometimes blessings await us around those corners, or in the diversions, and sometimes trials. We walk the road in faith. And we must be careful not rob ourselves of those blessings that await because we selfishly refuse to sacrifice the time a diversion may take.

Though there are many similarities between life and the road to Hana, we can be grateful we only go one way. There is no return trip. The Bible assures us we are journeying through this world to an end God has promised - heaven and eternal life. He assures us this world isn't real life. Real life is in the Spirit and life in the Spirit enhances our journey and produces joy even with the single lanes, narrow bridges and unpleasant diversions....until we reach our heavenly Paradise.

We also have the promise of His everlasting presence and abundant life; not just at the end of our journey but in the journey. This sometimes amazing, sometimes hard journey is just that – a journey. I can either enjoy the scenery or focus on the curves. I have chosen not to opt-out, taking it all in, the good with the bad, knowing in the end my journey will have been more rewarding than the road to Hana.

I’m going to trust in His promise to walk with me along the way; to never abandon me on this narrow road; and work through the curves, knowing He will turn those diversions into blessings. Because, unlike Hana, He has promised the beauty of heaven at the end of my road. Oh, the joy of such a promise!

God will…give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61:3

Perseverance

Recently, when asked to speak to a group of women on the topic of perseverance, I didn't have to dig very deep to realize I have first hand knowledge of the subject. After all that's what brought me to the place of blogging (My Story).

Before I felt qualified to speak on the subject, I first felt the need to clarify my understanding of the word persevere and its close relation, endure. Because, as I've found, our English language uses these two words interchangeably. Assuming they are two different words I pressed on to determine how they are so closely related.

After some time of what felt like chasing my own tail (because believe me at times it was a circular path to separate these two words as they referenced each other to define each other), the "light bulb" moment came. I found the above pictured quote from Charles Spurgeon. Ah, ha! I said to myself. That's it! Because I have found when words are used interchangeably, yet have distinct definitions, the power in both words becomes diminished as the lines between them become blurred.

Charles Spurgeon's little snail open the door of my understanding. This is how I described it to the women as I spoke to them:

I persevered in preparing to speak to you so now you must endure!

Like the snail on its way to the ark, to persevere means there must be constant forward motion. Sometimes that means literal forward motion and other times it's merely sheer determination not to give up.

Drawing from my past, my highly motivated efforts to wean off the drug poisoning my body was driven by pure perseverance, while endurance enabled me to withstand the effects of withdrawal. Unfortunately the process of drug withdrawal from benzodiazepines requires both. There is no way around it. There are ways to mitigate the effects, but there will be the trial of perseverance with endurance.

The old adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" certainly held true for me in this case. Withdrawal from this insidious drug is dangerous. It can kill. Through perseverance and endurance I came out stronger than I ever believed possible.

Having my faith strengthened through perseverance is primarily what I wanted to share as I spoke to the women. My experience is nothing compared to what others have had to persevere and endure. Everyone at one time or another will persevere through something. Right? That is one of our common bonds of life. If we aren't learning in the process we completely miss the opportunity for growth (that forward motion of life),  and risk stagnating in bitterness, or worse.

I've found life itself is the process of persevering, haven't you? It's what we learn through the process that produces the lasting, positive life changing effects. And for believers it is faith building because God has promised to meed our every need.

Please, I don't want you to get the idea that I stood before those women and painted a maudlin picture of the martyr's view of perseverance. Quite the contrary. I've learned some beautiful lessons about what it means to persevere...and it's not been about me.

What I've learned and continue to learn is, God is bigger than anything I must persevere or endure. It was His powerful presence meeting me moment by moment then and His continued presence meeting me daily now as I persevere toward the future He has assured me of - step by step, day by day, like the snail.

Are you enduring something today. Allow Christ to give you the strength to persevere.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philip. 4:13