Sharp Turn Ahead

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

I don’t know about you but sometimes I get ahead of God. I take off running, only to discover I’m headed in the wrong direction. I make a sharp turn to the left or right without asking His advice, then I wonder why things around me come crashing down.

Oh, don’t get me wrong: my intentions are good.

I always assume God will be A-Okay with my plans to forge ahead, so why bother checking in with Him first? He’s going to be so proud of me for tackling this project head-on! Right?

Only, sometimes I totally miss Him. I find myself in places I was never meant to go. My sharp turn into that “good thing” lands me in a world of trouble and there’s a huge mess to clean up. Oops.

Maybe you can relate.

When you get out ahead of God bad things can happen. Unexpected things. Those sharp turns you’re taking–away from His true plan for your life–can leave you confused and frustrated. And they can cause unexpected damage, too, not just to you, but others, as well.

I’m reminded of a time, many years ago, when I thought it would be safe to transport a four-tiered cake to an outreach (a children’s ministry event in the inner city).

Hours of work had gone into the Frozen-themed project and the four-tiered cake was pretty amazing, if I do say so myself.

I was dealing with a broken wrist at the time, so I asked my good friend to come and load the cake into the back of my SUV for me. She happily obliged and I took off toward the venue.

Then I made a sharp turn.

I had no choice, really. I had to make a left-hand turn at a corner I’d maneuvered a thousand times before. . .but never with a four-tiered cake in the back of my SUV.

I didn’t realize just how sharp the turn was until I heard the crash in the back of my vehicle. At that point, I knew my beautiful cake was a goner.

My heart felt like it sank (ker-plunk!) straight to my toes.

I pulled the car off of the road and raced to the back of my SUV to find the top three tiers had separated from the bottom cake. What a huge mess! I felt like crying.

I turned the car around and went back home right away to see if I could salvage any of the cake. The kids had no idea I was coming so they wouldn’t be any the wiser, as long as I could pull off something edible out of the scraps.

I somehow managed to clean up the mess, then carried the pieces of cake back inside my house. There, I created two separate cake projects out of what had been one.

Okay, so they were a little on the sloppy side and I had to patch the bottom cake with a ton of leftover frosting, but the kids didn’t know or care. They absolutely loved the two cakes.

Ever Had a Heart-Sinking Experience Like That?

Maybe you’ve taken sharp turns that ended disastrously a time or two. Maybe you got out ahead of God and the story ended with disastrous consequences and a considerable amount of cleanup was required.

Here’s the good news: Just like that cake, God can make something good out of it. He can take your wrong decision and use it to create a sweet outcome.

Don’t fret over the mistakes you’ve made. Piece together a solution and keep on keeping on, friend. Next time you’ll think twice before making that sharp turn!

PRAYER
Lord, I’m so sorry for the times I raced ahead of you and took sharp turns to the right or left without consulting You first. Thank You for cleaning up my mess and making something beautiful out of it. Amen.

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.