When Life Isn’t Just Fun and Games
A devotional by Suzanne Felton
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Have you ever played “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”?
It is a children’s game where everyone stands across the room from a large picture of a donkey without a tail (or a clown without a nose, or a cowboy without a hat, etc.). All you have to do when your turn comes is walk over and stick the donkey’s tail in the proper place. That seems easy enough, but what makes the game challenging—and fun—is that you’re blindfolded and spun around first so that pinning the tail in the right spot becomes nearly impossible. The poor donkey ends up with many tails in all the wrong places, and everyone laughs at the results.
Sometimes life feels like a game of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”. You can see your goal clearly, and the path to reach it seems easy, but then, out of nowhere, you’re blindsided, spun around, and disoriented, and you end up way off course. When it’s real life, though, it’s anything but funny. You thought you had everything under control. You thought you knew where you were going. You thought you knew exactly how to get there. Instead, you find yourself somewhere entirely different with no idea what to do next.
Does this sound familiar? Maybe you started a new business thinking it was a sure thing, only to find yourself one year later with no profits and no idea how to recover your investment. Maybe you moved to a new state to be near a loved one, but that relationship became strained, and now you feel like an outsider in an unfamiliar community. Maybe you were expecting a promotion in the job you put your heart and soul into for years, only to be let go. Maybe you finally found the courage to trust someone, only to have that trust broken. Whatever your story, I’d bet there’s been a time in your life when you felt like you stuck your pin in the worst possible place.
The book of Exodus in the Bible tells the story of how the Israelites, God’s chosen people, miraculously escaped slavery in Egypt. Led by Moses, they set off triumphantly toward a new land God had promised to give them. If they had taken the most direct route, they probably could have made the trip on foot in under two weeks, but the journey took them forty years. Forty years. Talk about a detour!
God allowed the Israelites to wander in the desert for so long because there were things He wanted to teach them before they reached the Promised Land. The people were not expecting such a long and winding journey. They questioned and complained along the way, but God knew what was best for them.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us we should not rely on our own understanding as we walk through life. Our paths will only become straight, it says, when we submit our lives to God and trust Him completely. When we rely on our own understanding, thinking we can find the target and reach our goals on our own, we stick our pins in the wrong places. However, when we learn to trust God, we will we end up exactly where He wants us to be.
If you feel like you’re wandering right now, like you have been blindfolded and spun around and can’t find where to stick your pin, perhaps God has something He wants to teach you. You may not yet understand the reason you got off course but trust Him to lead you every step of the way, and He will fulfill His promise.
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, sometimes I venture off course in my life, and I feel disoriented and confused. Help me stop leaning on my own understanding and to trust You with my whole heart. Make my path straight and keep me in the center of Your will. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
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Song of Reflection #1: “Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust the Lord)” by Warrior. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #2: “Order My Steps” by GMWA Women of Worship. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #3: “Lead Me Lord” by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir w/Elizabeth Goodine. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #4: “Made A Way” by Travis Greene. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Suzanne Felton is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, birder, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace.
She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms. Amazed by the power of words, she currently uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.
Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including Truly Magazine, The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.
Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.
Married to her best friend for twenty-six years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband serve as deacons and small group leaders. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two college-age sons.
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Connect with Suzanne:
Website: suzannefelton.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/l.suzanne.felton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton/
Email: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com
