The Unplanned Road

Sometimes God’s greatest assignments are waiting in places we never intended to go. Like the unplanned road.

Last week, I told you about losing my job. For the first time in more than thirty years, I had no predictable paycheck, no position, and no real idea of what came next. But something unexpected happened during that season.

God began teaching me that my identity wasn’t wrapped up in what I did for a living. I discovered the value of having time for Carmen, our kin group, and, most importantly, Jesus.

Of course, there was still one small detail. We needed to pay the bills. And apparently, those bills weren’t particularly interested in my newfound appreciation for a less hurried lifestyle.

So I started driving Uber.

I could earn some money, make my own schedule, and continue pursuing other opportunities without immediately surrendering all the time I’d begun to appreciate.

I had no idea that getting behind the wheel would introduce me to people and experiences I never would have encountered otherwise.

Including a man named Jose. And a road that I’m still not entirely sure actually existed.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Apparently, GPS Has a Sense of Humor

One day, I accepted a ride request from Jose. Nothing particularly unusual about that.

I followed the GPS toward his pickup location, eventually turning off the main road onto what appeared to be a sandy trail.

Then the trail became narrower. And sandier. And eventually…I’m pretty sure I was driving down a ditch.

This was Florida, and specifically Hernando County, where a perfectly reasonable-looking road can suddenly become an adventure better suited for a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

I kept following the GPS.

Because, naturally, when you’re driving down something that no longer resembles a road, the obvious thing to do is trust the little blue line on your phone.

At one point, another vehicle approached from the opposite direction. The driver and passenger looked at me as we maneuvered around each other.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their expressions suggested they were wondering what in the world I was doing back there. Excellent question.

Eventually, the trail opened into something resembling a cul-de-sac surrounded by several old trailers.

According to Uber, I had arrived. According to everything I could see, I wasn’t entirely convinced I should have.

I stopped and notified Jose that I was there. Nothing. I waited. And waited.

I began wondering whether a tow truck could even find me if I managed to bury my car in the sand on the way out.

Then I heard someone yell, “Hey!”

I looked in my mirror and saw a young man walking toward my car.

“Jose. You Scott?” We confirmed each other’s identities.

Then he said something interesting. “Man, I didn’t think you were coming.” Apparently, two other Uber drivers had already accepted his ride that morning. Both had indicated they’d arrived, but neither had actually made it back to his trailer.

Jose knew because he had cameras positioned near the entrance to the trail.

Suddenly, everything made sense. And those gold teeth!

Those drivers had probably followed the same GPS directions I had, reached the point where the road turned into a sandy ditch, and made a considerably wiser decision than I had.

They turned around. I didn’t. Whether that made me dedicated, adventurous or just a little foolish, I’ll let you decide.

But there I was. And there was Jose.

A Prayer Before Every Passenger

When I started driving Uber, I made a commitment. I would pray for every person who got into my car.

Sometimes I prayed before picking them up. Sometimes I prayed silently while they were sitting behind me. I prayed for their needs, for my own safety and that God would lead our conversation wherever He wanted it to go.

I wasn’t trying to turn every Uber ride into a sermon. Sometimes a ride was simply a ride. But I wanted to remain available if God presented an opportunity to encourage someone.

And as Jose climbed into my back seat, I had absolutely no idea where this particular conversation was headed.

We hadn’t been driving long before he began telling me about his morning. Apparently, someone had thrown a concrete block through the window of his trailer while he was sleeping.

It landed right on his chest.

Well…That’s one way to start a conversation. Jose told me he thought he was going to die. He explained that the incident involved another man and a woman, along with some rather colorful language that I’ll spare you.

But then the conversation became considerably more serious. Jose believed the other man and some of his friends might return and try to kill him.

He wasn’t sure he would survive the day. I listened. What exactly do you say to someone who has just told you something like that?

Then I heard myself say something I hadn’t planned. “Jose, it sounds to me like you’ve got some angels protecting you.”

There was silence in the back seat. I glanced at him in my rearview mirror. For the first time since getting into my car, he seemed to be searching for words.

Then he said, “Come to think of it…” And suddenly, the entire conversation changed.

Everybody Has a Story

Jose began telling me about his life. He said he’d grown up in New Jersey as the son of a drug kingpin.

According to Jose, when you’re born into that world, walking away isn’t nearly as simple as someone on the outside might imagine. It’s the environment you know. It’s the people you know.

Eventually, his choices led him to prison. But that wasn’t where Jose’s story ended.

He told me that God had given him a second chance. And then I learned where I was actually taking him.

As part of his community service following his release from prison, Jose was going to speak to a group of young men who were beginning to make some of the same mistakes he’d made.

Think about that for a moment.

Here was a man who had climbed into my car believing someone might try to kill him that day. Yet he was on his way to help young men avoid following the path that had led him to prison.

Then he said something I’ll never forget. “If I can make a difference in one young person’s life, it’s all worth it.”

Wow.

Suddenly, the sandy ditch, the questionable GPS directions, and the entire adventure of getting to his trailer seemed a little less important.

Here was a man whose past could have defined the rest of his life. Instead, he wanted to use his experiences to help someone else. He couldn’t change where he’d been. But he could make a difference in where someone else might be headed.

And perhaps that was one of the reasons our paths had crossed that morning.

Maybe the Road Wasn’t the Problem

As we approached his destination, I found myself thinking about the two Uber drivers who had accepted Jose’s ride before me.

I certainly understood why they might have turned around. I’m not even sure I would follow those GPS directions again!

But had I turned around that morning, I never would have met Jose. I never would have heard his story. And I never would have had the opportunity to encourage him.

It reminded me of something I’d been learning throughout that entire season of unemployment. Sometimes the road we’re on doesn’t make much sense while we’re traveling it.

Losing my job hadn’t made sense. Waiting months for another opportunity hadn’t made sense. And driving down a sandy ditch in the middle of the Florida woods certainly hadn’t made sense.

Yet here I was, having a conversation with someone whose life was completely different from mine. And somehow, God was using that conversation to encourage both of us.

When we arrived, Jose climbed out of the car. “Jose, thanks for riding with me. I really believe what we just had was a God moment.”  He agreed.

Then he shut the door and walked away. I drove off. But I didn’t forget Jose.

Sometimes God Lets You See a Little More

Over the following months, I occasionally wondered what had happened to him.

Was he okay? Had he stayed out of trouble? Had the second chance he’d talked about really become a second chance?

I had no way of knowing. Until one day, months later, I accepted another Uber ride. The pickup location was a rehabilitation center I’d become familiar with. I pulled into the parking lot and waited for my passenger.

And waited.

The timer on my app was getting close to expiring, and I was already thinking about moving on to my next ride.

Then I noticed someone walking toward my car. I rolled down the window. And suddenly, I recognized the smile. And the gold teeth.

It was Jose!

He’d noticed that I was the Uber driver waiting outside and wanted to come out to tell me that the person I was supposed to pick up wasn’t there that day.

But he had something else he wanted to tell me. “I wanted to say hi and tell you I’m doing really well.”

And you know what? He was. This wasn’t quite the same Jose who had climbed into my car from a trailer hidden down a sandy trail in the woods.

His hair was neatly slicked back. He was wearing a button-down shirt and khakis. He looked healthy.

But more than that…He looked hopeful. We talked for just a moment before he headed back inside.

And I sat there watching him walk away. The passenger I had driven there to pick up never showed up. But I couldn’t help wondering…

Maybe that wasn’t the reason I’d been sent back there that day.

Maybe I just needed to see Jose again.

Sometimes the Encouragement Comes Back Around

I had started driving Uber because I needed to earn money while figuring out what was next.

And I’d committed to praying for my passengers because I wanted to be available if God gave me an opportunity to encourage someone.

That morning, I thought perhaps God had allowed me to encourage Jose. But months later, sitting in that parking lot, I realized something else.

Sometimes the person you thought you were there to encourage becomes the very person God uses to encourage you.

I needed that reminder.

I needed to see someone whose life had been incredibly difficult, moving forward with hope.

And I needed to remember that God was working in people’s lives even when I couldn’t see what He was doing.

And perhaps I needed to be reminded that my own life wasn’t standing still simply because it wasn’t unfolding according to my plan.

I didn’t know what the future held for Jose. I still don’t. But for one brief moment, God allowed our paths to cross again. And I got to see a little more of his story.

Sometimes that’s enough.

Your Everyday Life

I wonder how many opportunities we miss because we’re so focused on getting where we’re going.

We have our schedules, our responsibilities, and our destinations. And when something interrupts those plans, our first instinct is often to get things back on track as quickly as possible.

But what if some of those interruptions are actually opportunities?

It could be that the person who needs a little extra time at the grocery store checkout is someone who could use a kind word.

What if the neighbor who keeps stopping to talk is simply looking for someone willing to listen?

What if that unexpected phone call is an opportunity to encourage someone who’s having a difficult day?

And what if the road you’re traveling right now, even though it looks nothing like the one you planned, is taking you somewhere God can use you?

I don’t believe we need to treat every inconvenience as a mysterious message from heaven. And I certainly wouldn’t recommend following every questionable GPS direction you encounter!

But I do believe we can approach our everyday lives with a greater willingness to be available. Sometimes ministry isn’t another thing we need to add to our schedules. It’s recognizing the opportunities God has already placed along the way.

You don’t have to be a pastor. You don’t have to have all the answers. And you don’t even have to know exactly what to say.

Sometimes you simply need to be willing to listen. To encourage. To pray. Or to notice the person in front of you.

Because everybody has a story. And you never know when God might allow you to become a small part of someone else’s.

Challenge of the Week

This week, before you begin your day, try praying a simple prayer:  “Lord, help me recognize the people and opportunities You place in my path today.” Then pay attention. Maybe someone needs encouragement, or needs you to listen without trying to fix everything, or maybe someone needs a reminder that their past doesn’t have to define their future. Or maybe you’re the one who needs encouragement, and God will use someone you never expected to provide it.

You don’t have to go looking for some extraordinary assignment. Just be available in the ordinary moments of your everyday life. After all, I thought I was simply picking up another Uber passenger. Instead, I met Jose. Sometimes the road we never planned to take leads us to exactly the encounter we needed. So be it.

What is your journey like?

My journey started like a parallel journey to the Prodigal Son – Luke 15. This, as you can see, is becoming quite the journey. Jump into my journey with me, now 18 weeks along, and see what your journey looks like as we walk life together. Here are the links where you can go back and jump into the journey with me:

• When Love Found Me – This is the introduction to it all.
• Before Love Found Me – God was pursuing me before I knew it.
• God at a Distance – I was looking in the wrong places.
• When God Broke In – God met me in my brokenness.
• After the Tears – Following Jesus became a shared journey.
• Packing Up Faith – Obedience required leaving the familiar.
• Making Room – God transformed our home into a place where others could encounter His love.
• Trusting God’s Hand – Even when it doesn’t make sense.
• When You Think You Need One More Miracle – and no matter what, God does it again!
• From Waiting to Wonder – Sometimes God does His greatest work in places we can’t wait to get out of.
• When God Colors Outside Of The Lines – Creating our own boundaries and limiting God.
• This Is The Way – God is whispering to you, “This is the way, follow Me.”
• Seeing What Others Can’t – When God shows you something that others can’t see…yet.
• Redeeming The Ruins – Where we see ruins, God sees redemption. Discover how He transforms broken places into something beautifully new.
• A Story That Started Before You – Sometimes what we think we’re starting is actually a story God has been writing long before we arrived.
• Ministry is a Firepit – Sometimes ministry is simply making room for others to feel seen, heard, and welcomed.
• “Still” Under Construction – God can use us even while we’re still under construction.
• What If? – Faith asks, “What if God sees possibilities where I only see obstacles?”
• What If? – Faith asks, “What if God sees possibilities where I only see obstacles?”
• When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned – Sometimes life’s unexpected interruptions create room for God to work in ways we never imagined.