Is God Trying To Take You Somewhere Exciting?

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. - Ephesians 3:20

I was listening to a podcast in the car earlier today about a mom with a two-year-old little boy. The boy’s name was Carter, and Carter had a deep-set hatred for his car seat. Any time his mom would put him in the car to go somewhere, he would scream and cry and thrash around, trying his hardest to get out of his seat.

One particular warm and sunny afternoon, Carter’s mom and dad decided they were going to go as a family to get ice cream and then spend a few hours at the local park, a park that happened to have Carter’s favorite playground. So they loaded up in the car and headed out for their afternoon of fun.

Like clockwork, Carter immediately began to cry and thrash as soon as he was placed in his car seat. His mom tried to explain to him where they were going. She told them were going to get some ice cream and that they were going to spend the afternoon at his favorite playground. But because Carter was only two-years-old, he wasn’t really comprehending what she was saying. He just knew he was uncomfortable and that he would rather be anywhere else than in that car seat, so the screaming continued.

As Carter’s mom told this story, she concluded it by talking about something the Holy Spirit reminded her of in the middle of her son’s tantrum. She said, “While I sat there in the front seat, frustrated that my son couldn’t understand that I was trying to take him somewhere exciting, I felt like the Holy Spirit gently asked me this question, ‘How many times have you reacted like that when I’ve tried to lead you somewhere great and exciting?’”

Listening to this story, I felt just as convicted as this mom probably felt in that moment. I could name a few instances right off the bat where I had figuratively thrown a tantrum with God when He was leading me somewhere exciting, all because I didn’t like my circumstances in the moment.

Maybe you’ve had similar instances happen in your own life. Maybe God’s been trying to lead you somewhere great or take you someplace exciting, but because your circumstances in the meantime were uncomfortable or unlikeable or uncertain, you kicked and screamed and fought back.

Thankfully, we serve a God who is always gracious and kind, who’s always patient with us despite our doubt and disbelief. So even when we question Him, even when we don’t like the “in the meantime” moments, even when we fight back when He’s trying to take us somewhere great, He still loves us, and He shows us His endless grace while He gently beckons us forward and asks us to keep following Him.

Friend, I can tell you from personal experience that every time the Lord has led me somewhere, even if I wasn’t initially on board, He always had good things in store. He always had a magnificent plan. He always had my best interest at heart, and He has never once, in all my years of following Him, led me astray. I know that to be true for my own life, and I know that’s true for you as well.

You can trust Him. You can have confidence in Him. And you can have faith that even if you don’t understand it now, where He’s taking you will be so much better than anything you could ever ask for or imagine on your own.