Sometimes You Just Need To Take A Different Route!

Like alot of you, I travel the same route each day to work. For me it is Route 8 to the Perkins exit Then I take a right, a left, another right and then one more left. After three years, it is a normal routine. I even have a routine of what I do as I drive the thirty minute commute. I call Sandi, then I call Ashley and then I call my mom or sister. Each day…same people…same calls. A few weeks ago, my routine changed. It wasn’t because I suddenly felt the urge to change, it was because of a traffic backup. I was forced to take a different exit. As I made the turn, I noticed tons of teens walking together to school. First there was a group of Asian girls. They were laughing and talking on their cell phones like girls do. Behind them was a group of Latino boys, rough housing and doing what teenage boys do when they are together. It seemed out of the ordinary to see so many different nationalities together in Akron. Then I looked to my right and saw a building that I had only heard of in meetings and on the news. It was the International Institute. II serves immigrants that have moved to the Akron area and does a tremendous service to the families. They are very active in the community and truly make s difference in the lives of families looking for a better life in America. I also wanted to learn more about their mission, but never took the time to find out where they were and who they served. That all changed today. Further down the road, I saw small businesses reflecting the entrepreneurship of the immigrants. Little mom and pop stores, restaurants and other businesses. How cool was this! Before I knew it, I was at work. The new route didn’t take longer and I began to ask what else have I been missing because of my unwillingness to do things different. My route changed that day, and so did my attitude. Each day now, as I drive to work, I look forward to seeing the teens. I pray for them as I drive by. I pray that they are happy in their new country and that they are not bullied or ridiculed for their nationality. Isn’t that a great example of how we often get stuck in a rut or routine because we don’t like change and we just keep doing things the same way? Routine is familiar and comfortable. So here is my challenge. Tomorrow…take a new route! God just might have something He wants to show you.