“The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination.”

If you own a vehicle or have been inside of one, there is a pretty good chance you have encountered one of my least favorite things aside from Satan himself. This more than annoying thing is traffic. I face it almost every day and have on more than many occasions found myself beating my steering wheel or passing the time listening to Spanish music I don’t understand or waving at unsuspecting truck drivers. You don’t have to read between the yellow lines to know that traffic can bring damage to more than just vehicles.

On my commute not long ago, I was routinely frustrated with the miles of red lights in front of me when the Lord spoke into my road blocked heart.

“Would you still praise Me even if you weren’t moving?”

I was taken aback further than the last car in line. My mind revisited the past few years of my life and how it seemed like I was going nowhere fast. It may be vulnerable to say but it was as though God had left me in the center of a maze to fend for myself on a rotating journey leading to nothing, over and over.

I had been yelling at Heaven for years wondering why I was where I was and why no doors were opening. I graduated college, worked, traveled, given up many people and possessions, and continue to do all I know in order to hear even a whisper from God. Yet, in all of the wandering and waiting, I always seem to end up right back where I started. It’s funny how you can travel the world and still return feeling just as lost.

I was involved in a back to school rally in my section a few months ago, and I went not expecting to hear or feel anything. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.
The title of the message was simply “Nowhere.” The preacher presented the idea that we have to be willing to follow Jesus anywhere even it that means we sometimes feel like we are going absolutely nowhere at all.

In Matthew 8:19-20 we read of the man who claims he is willing to give up everything to follow to Jesus. “And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”

In order to get somewhere, God often takes us through seasons of barrenness and times where no road signs direct the way. It is a journey to get to the places He has designed us to be, and not every journey comes with ease.

The Good Samaritan was on the road for a period of time, headed to a place on purpose when he found a need along the way and filled it. The interruptions and detours were part of his journey whether he knew it or not. If he had been too consumed in the destination, the story would have had yet another character walk right over brokenness and selfishly progress. He chose to stay awhile somewhere, no matter how long it took.

Another great example to consider is Jesus Himself. On more than one occasion He was on His way somewhere when He subsequently performed miracles and changed lives along the way. He was already headed somewhere when He healed the woman with an issue of blood and then took the time to raise Jairus’ daughter. He made unexpected stops and often lingered awhile before He continued.

On many roads, part of the journey is what happens along the way or how you react in times when you are forced to be sedentary. You may feel like you are going nowhere, but maybe that is the point right now.

You may feel like you are stuck in traffic or that the road you have been on is barely tolerable. Open your eyes and realize all the needs to fill and all the work to be done as you travel, at whatever speed that is.

Bloom where you are planted, even if it is uncomfortable. Many times progress occurs even when you don’t even feel like you’re progressing. If God has you somewhere, be there wholeheartedly and be invested in the Kingdom. You can make a difference even if you feel like “nowhere” is where you frequent.

Do not try and figure out what is next. He already knows. He’s already been there. He wants to see how willing you are to truly be where you are and stay there until He opens another door. Even when you get “somewhere,” remember that you will never fully arrive until you get to Heaven. We may not all be journeying at the same pace, but if you think about it and do it right, we are all just walking each other Home.

Rachel Thorne was born in Florida and has lived in many places throughout the United States. She is a graduate of Urshan College, formerly known as Gateway College of Evangelism. She wants to make a difference and change her world. Rachel is actively seeking the will of God for her life and is willing to do whatever He has for her.