The Unexpected Path

I got married recently and have since discovered that my new husband, being very protective of me, is NOT fond of my habit of walking on roads. He believes that sidewalks were created for a reason and should be used whenever possible (aka always). When we go walking together he always walks on the side closer to the road so that I'm further away from the traffic, and when he sees or even senses a car in the vicinity, he subconsciously pushes me even further toward the side of the road so that I'm practically walking in the gutter. 

Thankfully he hasn't absolutely forbidden me from walking on the road, but each time we go walking he makes some comment about sidewalks being safer. I have informed him that I haven't been run over by a car before so the probability of that happening in the future seems low. He was not convinced by that statement. 

So it is, that whenever we go walking together, I either walk in the gutter or on the sidewalk, but when I go walking alone, I feel free to walk on the road as much as I want. 

Or I did. Until today. 

My walk today took me along a busier road than usual, and at first, I thought nothing of it. I walked along the side of the road, in my favorite gravelly section. For much of the time, no actual sidewalk existed, just an extra wide patch of rocks and dirt. Eventually, however, I reached a point where the sidewalk began and I was faced with a terrible choice. I could continue on my way, walking the side of a busy road looking for pennies. My husband would never know and my chances of finding a penny would be higher. Or, I could get on the sidewalk, knowing that I would pretty much eliminate any chance I had of finding a penny or washer but also knowing my husband would feel calmer (if he ever found out). 

I took the sidewalk. 

And just to make myself feel a little better about my sacrifice, I pulled out my phone and filmed a one second video of my feet on the sidewalk so I could send it to my husband and say, "Look! I'm walking on the sidewalk!"

I had just sent the video and was about to put my phone back in my pocket when a message came in from my sister. She'd sent me a picture of herself holding a nickel and a quarter. Apparently she'd just barely found them (on the sidewalk) and wanted me to remind her to give them to me the next time I see her. 

I paused, stunned for a moment, when I realized the perfection of God's timing. I'd made the decision to take a path I wouldn't ordinarily have chosen on my own. I was sad and disappointed that I was going to miss out on what might have been on the other path--the coins I thought I wanted. Yet God worked out his own way to still send me what I thought I'd lost. 

It was the unexpected path. 

I'm getting very familiar with unexpected paths. Today I am 3.5 weeks married and 3 weeks pregnant. Yep. Unexpectedly expecting. 

It wasn't my path. It wasn't my plan. It wasn't my way. This wasn't the sidewalk I thought I'd be walking. I don't think I'd be human if I hadn't thought about what this means I might miss. (I won't be going skydiving next year like I'd planned). I'm not walking on the road anymore. I'm going to miss out on some things. 

But maybe it's possible that this unexpected path will be even better. Thanks to my unexpected path this morning, my sister's gift means all the more to me. It is amazing to consider how perfectly God worked everything out to have her walking on her sidewalk at just the right time to find those coins and send a message to me right when I was making the choice to take my new path. 

If unexpected paths involve miracles and synchronicity like that, then I'm pretty sure they're way cooler than ordinary paths. In which case, I can't wait to see what unexpected path is just around the bend!