Unplanned Stops
By Pastor Ben

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”    (Mark 6:34)

No road trip is complete without a few impromptu stops. “World’s Best Ice Cream” shop. Flat tire. Scenic overlook. Turtle family crossing the road. Motion sickness.
There are two kinds of unplanned travel stops: “good” and “not so good.” Usually, it’s easy to categorize each situation. But, sometimes, what you’d expect to see in the “not so good” column surprises you and turns into a positive pit stop.

The apostle Paul spent a lot of time traveling on the road and on the water. Paul’s journey as a servant for Christ started with a very unexpected stop along the road to Damascus. Jesus interrupted Paul’s trip to miraculously change his heart and his mission. Paul went from someone who persecuted Christ’s followers to someone who was persecuted for his faith in Christ. Here is a portion of Paul’s travel log:

“Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, . . . Through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
                                 (2 Corinthians 11:25-27)

How would you like to travel with him? A flat tire doesn’t seem so bad now, does it? Even amidst his unexpected stops, plenty of them in the “not so good” category, Paul continuously encouraged God’s people by reminding them:

“We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”            (Romans 8:28)

You can plan on your Savior having plans for all of your unplanned situations. He may unexpectedly call on you to encourage a struggling co-worker. He may put an unplanned stop in your family life so that you’ll be able to serve your community. Or He may put  an unplanned stop (like a global pandemic) into your life in general so that you can spend the time with your family that you needed. He may be working good for you, even though you’re struggling to survive an illness.

Embrace the unplanned stops! Jesus Christ is present in every one of them, working for you and through you, for the glory of God.

PRAYER STARTER:
Gracious God, lead me. Your direction is always best. Show me where to stop and teach me to expect the unexpected . . .