TWO-TRACKING

Two-Tracking

by

                                                               Wanda Hammond Ritter

 

            Years ago my son called and wanted to take me two-tracking.  I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he had a new truck and so I thought it would be fun.  We took off down the road and he suddenly turned off into the woods on what we would call a two-track road.  My first thought was, “Where are we going?”  My next thought, as we hit a large bump, was, “Are we going to make it?”

            After an hour of bumps and jogs we eventually came out to a normal road.  I had been jiggled and joggled and still didn’t know where we were.  When I asked if we were almost there my son said, “Wasn’t it fun driving around through the woods?”
            “Didn’t you have a destination,” I asked?
            “No”, he answered, “I had no idea where we were going; we just followed the two-tracks.  They had to end up someplace.”

          Thinking back on that little adventure, it reminds me of Abraham in the Old Testament. God spoke to [Abram] and told him to leave his father, Terah and head out for an unknown destination.  So he took his wife [Sarai] and nephew, Lot, with all their families, animals and goods and left.  At that time there were no two-tracks to follow.  They had to make their own way and didn’t even know where they were headed. Yet they obeyed the Lord.

          I believe that many Christians today are two-tracking; following where others have been, but still aren’t sure of the direction to go.  They struggle with, ‘is this what God wants me to do?”  Yet, they are too busy to slow down enough to listen to God’s direction.  The Bible tells us plainly in Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way.”   God wants us to follow His directions because it is always the better way.
            Going back to Abraham, the Bible tells us he made some side trips.  He went to Egypt!  Although Egypt is a real place, it is also symbolic of worldliness.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve made a few side trips to Egypt and from experience I can tell you that Egypt is not a good place to be.  Abraham found that out when he arrived.  His life was in danger and so was his wife’s.  It gets worse; he lied and let them take Sarah to the Pharaoh who was amazed by her beauty.  Only by God’s interference by sending plagues on the Egyptians were they able to be set free and leave Egypt.
           Our own desires can tempt us to go two-tracking, when we weren’t really following the Lord’s direction.  It never works!  I’ve heard so many stories of people whom God called into ministry and they have run the other way.  Some struggle for years before they finally realize that they are better off to follow God’s direction.  Take a look at Jonah and what he went through before he obeyed God.
           For many years I thought my gift was singing.  From the time I was 4 years old I was on stage singing.  Through the years, singing was my life. I sang for weddings, funerals and every place I could. After I asked the Lord into my heart, my goal was singing.  My husband, Jerry and I hosted a television program where I sang almost every week, I became worship leader at the church we attended. I traveled a good deal to speak at meetings and always sang as well.  I was sure these steps were ordered by the Lord, because it was my heart’s desire.  Then, when Shiloh began, we went with Pastor Verne and Sheryl and the first day we had church, Sheryl Ann did the praise and worship, because I had to play the piano.
           When Sunday School began, I started the adult class.  After 27 years we never changed, although others came along and took over the piano playing, I kept teaching.  I still sang specials, directed choirs and musicals and thought I was still following the Lord’s direction.  Then about ten years ago, I lost my singing voice.  At first I was devastated; my voice was gone and someone else had taken over my piano playing.  I cried out to the Lord, “Why did this happen to me; I thought I was doing what you wanted?”  During this low time in my walk with God, I heard his direction, “Teach.” 
           I now understand that this was where he wanted me to go; not that following another direction was bad because I was ministering to others, but that was not his calling on my life.  Many things have happened since that time and changes have come again, but I haven’t quit teaching.  It’s not always in a classroom, but the Lord has given me the ability to use the internet as a teaching tool.  As I told someone the other day, “It doesn’t matter how old I am, or how crippled up I might become, I will write and teach until the end of my days.  This is where God called and I will obey.”
           In the past years I spent some time in Egypt and many of you have no doubt done the same thing.  This doesn’t mean that God deserted you; it may mean you had lessons to learn.  If you think back you may remember when you met those who encouraged you or were great examples to you; those weren’t coincidences, they were divine appointments which helped you back on the right track. 
           Yes, you can get lost two-tracking like Abraham did, but remember this, “The steps of a good man (or woman) are ordered by the Lord.”  When in doubt of where you are headed, stop and pray; then listen to God’s answer.  Don’t waste your time bemoaning the fact that you didn’t follow your heart’s desire.  You may be exactly where God wants you to be.  If you are in a position to minister to others in a unique way and to change lives; then you are right where God took your footsteps.  Perhaps when you’ve been two-tracking the things you learned were preparing you to do what you are doing today.

                                                     Be blessed!