Out of the Way

This morning, Luke and I went to visit my prayer partner in Granger.  It’s about thirty miles away; a town you wouldn’t notice on the highway unless you knew one of the approximately 3,500 people who live there.  As I drove down the highway, with fields on both sides and a clear view of Mount Adams, I thought about how Granger is really out of the way.  That is, my friend is my only reason for heading that direction and going so far.

I used to drive to Granger five days a week.  When Jeff and I got engaged, I googled “schools near Yakima”, and ended up being hired at Granger’s only elementary school.  Even though there were schools with jobs in my neighborhood, I felt God’s peace about Granger.  It turned out to be one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.  When people asked where I worked, they would almost always comment, “Why do you work all the way down there?”  It’s out of the way.  Inconvenient.  More time and effort are required to get there, and it’s a population of kids who need extra care.  I didn’t know any Spanish and the majority of my class was Hispanic.  It took some work and creativity to teach well.

Going out of the way isn’t always a bad thing though.  When God takes me past what’s convenient for me, it forces me to focus on Him and others.  That’s always a good thing.

As I drove today, I thought about how, if I’d never worked in Granger, it would just be an exit sign on a highway I’d rarely use.  The people living there would be lumped into a category in my head like “lower valley people” or something generic like that.  Because God took me out of the way, the labels and ambiguity have been replaced with specific people and stories.  It’s not just an exit with a gas station, it’s Granger.  Not just Granger, but a school called Roosevelt Elementary.  Not just Roosevelt Elementary, but the kids who learn there – Juan, Florence, Yesica, Francisco, Estrella.  Kids with stories, families, ups and downs.  I only taught there for a year and a half, but Granger is a part of my story now.  I can never pass that exit or read about it in the newspaper without paying close attention. 

Sometimes, going out of the way is a distance thing, like my drive to work.  Sometimes, it’s a social going out of the way, like choosing to chat with my neighbor and listen as long as needed instead of making some excuse to go back inside.  I know a family who went out of their way to adopt a child, and it turned into taking three siblings home.  It sounds kind of inconvenient to me, especially since the couple already had three kids.  Those kids are no longer unknown, but are now daughters and son.  These situations, big and small, require trusting that God will take care of everything, no matter how stretching or scary it feels.

I don’t know what the next out of the way thing will be.  I’m actually trying to look for something small.  Maybe I can get off the cozy couch and go out of the way to rub my hubs’ feet tonight.  Maybe I can put somebody else’s grocery cart away for them.  The important thing is, God knows all of these people and places and He is carrying out His good plans everywhere.  I want to be a part of that.  Even if it means going out of my way.