The Long Way Home
What is God teaching us along the road?
Love,
When you drive through our neighborhood, you eventually come to a spot where the road splits in two directions. And the funny thing is (as you can see in the picture), someone actually put a giant fork right there in the road. This morning as I was driving home after dropping our son off at school, I saw it again. But for some reason it caught my attention in a new way. And I found myself thinking a little more deeply about it.
What’s interesting about this fork in the road is that it’s actually a loop. No matter which direction you choose, you’ll end up in the same place eventually. The hills and curves may be different, and one path might feel steeper or more tiring when I’m walking or running, but in the end both ways lead home.
As I was thinking about it more, I realized how much life can feel the same way. We all come to these fork-in-the-road moments where we’re faced with decisions that feel weighty and uncertain. Yet no matter which path we take, God is with us. The journey may look different. Sometimes it may be smooth, other times steep. But God walks beside us through it all and is faithful to guide us and bring us to the place He always intended for us to be.
I was really sad to hear that Jane Goodall passed away today. Her love for chimpanzees, for animals, and for nature was so genuine and inspiring. And watching some of her recent interviews reminded me just how wise she was.
In one, she shared something that really stood out to me. She said that one of the most important lessons we can learn from chimpanzees is their ability to reconcile after conflict. They don’t hold onto grudges the way humans often do. We often fight wars, carry resentment, and let conflict divide us in ways that only deepen our wounds.
She also spoke about the importance of hope. She reminded us that without hope, we tend to slip into apathy and do nothing. And she stressed that real hope isn’t just sitting back with our arms folded, wishing things would change. It’s choosing to act and to care. It’s about doing our part (however small) to bring about the good we long to see.
Another thing she emphasized was the importance of reaching people’s hearts. She said that when you’re trying to persuade someone, it doesn’t do much good to keep battling away at the brain, trying to argue them into thinking differently. Real change comes when you reach the heart. And for her, the way to do that was through stories.
Maybe the fork in the road is less about which path we choose and more about the testimony God is building in us along the way. Each path has its own lessons and challenges, and it all becomes part of the bigger story He’s telling through us. And it’s through those stories (along with Christ’s sacrifice) that real power is released. Like Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Even when the path feels dark, just remember that hope is never lost. If we keep fighting to follow the light, keeping our eyes on Jesus, He will guide us home. And the journey (every step, every struggle, every moment of faith) becomes part of our testimony. And through it all, the story God is writing in us is living proof of His victory.
Praying for you always. Asking the Lord to keep filling you with hope and courage and to give you the confidence that He’s guiding you exactly where you need to be.
With love, Jeanie
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6