Hard News Can Lead to the Redirect that You Need
Have you ever had hard news come to your attention, but realized that it could lead to the redirect that you need?
Of course it is uncomfortable to find out hard news. But sometimes it takes uncomfortable things coming to light to point us in a new direction.
Train whistle warning
I was sitting on my deck on a Sunday morning enjoying my second cup of coffee, listening to the birds singing and soaking up the morning sunshine. I was enjoying a rare moment of quiet alone time. This time is hard to come by in my house. At the time, my husband and I were both working from home and my kids, a rising sophomore in high school and rising sophomore in college, were both off from school for summer break.
From my back deck, one of my favorite places when the weather is nice, you can hear the white-noise humming of traffic passing by on the interstate in the distance.
From time to time you can also hear a train passing by on tracks that are about a 5-minute drive from my house. On this particular morning, amidst the chirping birds and hum of distant traffic, I heard a train coming, followed by several long blasts of the horn. This is something that I hear less often, so it caught my attention.
I have prayed throughout my adult life, especially since becoming a parent, that if there was something off or if one of us started down a wrong path that God would somehow bring that to my attention, that I would be aware of promptings of the Holy Spirit. Around this time, that happened and some things had come to light that I know God gave me eyes to see. Even though this was hard news, I know that it came to my attention so that certain things could be addressed. And while thankful for this, it is also uncomfortable and sometimes feels easier to move along in ignorant bliss, busying myself with much less important things.
Sometimes what feels like rejection is really redirection.
But when I heard the urgent blasts of the train whistle that day, I thought about its purpose. Its purpose wasn’t to disrupt an otherwise peaceful morning. It was a preemptive warning to change course, to do something different in order to avoid danger. The blasts of the whistle may seem jarring, but sometimes those types of warning signs are needed in order for us to awake from our autopilot slumbers. The warning being brought to our attention lets us know that we have a choice. We can change our path, even slightly to avoid disaster.
And so it is in life. Sometimes when God brings hard news to our attention, he is blowing the train whistle. He is letting us know that there could be danger ahead if we don’t change our course.
If you are dealing with hard realizations today, whether it be with your health, your children, your marriage or something else… remember it’s not too late to take a small step in a different direction. In fact, the hard truth that you have been made aware of, while difficult to digest, is in fact what can be the catalyst to change that would have otherwise not been made.
Today, give thanks for hard realizations and take one small step in a different direction. All it takes is one step to watch the train go by, rather than ignoring the warnings of the safety whistle. Take one step in a new direction today and then another tomorrow. Then, in time, you’ll be at a safe distance again, on your deck enjoying the distant sounds.
