Have you ever looked back on a season of life and thought, “Wow, that sure seemed harder than it should have been?” Or, “If only I’d known, I would have done that differently.”

Today I stumbled upon a passage in Exodus 13:17 18. It describes the Israelites leaving Egypt. “But God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of Philistines, which was the shortest route…but led them on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea.” (MSG).

There was a shorter road and yet, that’s not the one God chose. Instead, he put them on the wilderness road toward the Red Sea. If He hadn’t, they would have missed the Red Sea. In fact, we all would have missed the Red Sea. Can you imagine telling Bible stories without being able to share the story of the Red Sea? It’s one of the BIG moments in the Bible when we all get to see the intentional purpose of God, His saving grace, and His sea-parting, mountain-moving power.

Reading this made me pause and reflect. Were there times when He directed me to the longer route? I thought of when our business partner embezzled tens of thousands of dollars. We ended up in court with hopes of getting our investment returned, but instead, the judge gave us the business. That turned into seven years of running a restaurant, something we never planned. However, the longer road led to meeting amazing people and learning new skills. Whoever thought I’d learn to roll sushi? Then I thought about life itself, how God allowed our daughter, Amy Colleen, to take the shorter route to heaven when she was stillborn, while my mother traveled the longer route with eighty-three vibrant years, full of experiences and rich with relationships.

I thought of our country. It is on a wilderness road right now as moral decay accelerates, babies continue to be murdered, and violence robs innocence. We find ourselves praying God will right the wrongs we human beings have allowed to pervade our nation. We want the short route, but perhaps we need the longer road to appreciate what we have, to value the freedoms we’ve taken for granted, and to learn to stand on our own feet. Although the shorter road might seem better, God often uses the wilderness roads to teach us the most important lessons about ourselves and Him.

If we find ourselves on a long wilderness road, remember that in every step, God is there. He is anxious for us to seek His direction and wisdom, but we can't just stand there, waiting for something to happen. We have to start walking. That's when the journey begins. Once we round the bend, who knows what Red Sea moment might be waiting for us too. One thing is for sure: I don't want to miss it by taking the short road.