Wrong Address

Psalm 31:3 – For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me. (NKJV)

Starting a new small group is always unsettling for many of us. My husband had taken down the address where we were to meet, and it turned out that it was only a few streets away from us. Off we went, Bibles in hand, to meet new people, to get into God's Word, and to spend time in fellowship with others.

Anyone who has ever used street numbers to look for a house on a street knows the challenges faced while locating a certain address in winter and in darkness. As we drove slowly along, I located one house number, which, by means of odd and even numbers, then told us which side of the road the house was on. We came to the address we had been given and parked the car. When we got out of the car, I had a sense that we were not at the right address. As we walked through the snow and up the driveway, I shared this with my husband. After he rang the doorbell, we waited and waited for someone to come to answer. When the door finally opened, my husband posed the question tentatively, "Is this the home having the Bible study?" The voice from the doorway said, "No, it isn't." After apologizing, we began to walk down the driveway. Standing on the street, not knowing which house to try next, we recognized one of the vehicles on the road, confirming that we were at the right place. As we glanced around looking for other clues, it dawned on me to note which way the footprints in the snow led from the vehicle that we recognized. They led us across the road, up a driveway, up a path, right to a door, and then stopped. Taking it upon ourselves to try again, we rang the doorbell. When the door opened, we were met with "You found us! We're so glad you came!"

From there, we began a journey of being welcomed and loved in the body of believers within the confines of a small group.

A few things can be drawn from this experience. One, a seed was dropped into the hearts of the people whose door we had first knocked on. Two, when we follow the Lord, He guides our paths and steps. Three, the footprints were there in the snow for us to follow — we had only to take the time to look and see them.

We know that as we step out in faith, our Lord will be our guide.

Psalm 48:14 – For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. (NIV)

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we thank You that You go before us and continue to lead us and guide our paths. Help us to show others Your love for them. Direct us to cross the paths of the lost in this world, and bring love and light to them. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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