What I learned from a traffic jam

“Travelling home from holiday we had quite a few choices of routes home. All really much of a muchness (or so we thought!). For on our chosen route we encountered a traffic jam – a big one. One that had us in stop / start manoeuvres for a good 30 minutes. Frustrating enough if there’s just you in the car, but add in 3 children and it can be even more so.

I am sure I spent a good 5 minutes day dreaming about the “what if’s” of the other routes. How we would be almost home or how we would have been able to stop off at a café and still have arrived home around the same time. But dwelling on the other routes wasn’t going to make the traffic jam disappear or pass quicker. Dwelling on the what if’s was only making me frustrated. So instead I focussed on us, in our car and making the best of the extended journey. With food and drink handy we had little picnic in the car. We listened to an entire Roald Dahl audiobook that kept us occupied and rather amused. With a title “The Giraffe, the Pelly and me” how could we not be! Our delay passed happily, the boys barely noticing the extended length of the trip. We enjoyed our journey!

Arriving home, some 30 minutes later than our intended arrival time, we still had reached our destination. The traffic jam was not a roadblock, preventing us from reaching our destination it just delayed it somewhat. The main objective of the trip – reaching home – was still achieved.

In life we all face “traffic jams” at some point. Delays in reaching that goal, or fulfilling that dream. We can all have the “what if” moments too – of how life could be moving quicker if we’d made different decisions. It’s important to remember though that delays are not denials. Setbacks are not final. Mistakes are not our destiny. A traffic jam just slows the journey down.

Don’t let failures or detours turn into road block. Instead use it as a step up. Learn the lesson & climb on! (Charlotte Gambill)

God is still directing your steps. Detours and traffic jams will come, but with God you will reach the right destination!

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)