Route 301

If you meet my dad and have the chance to chat with him for more than 20 minutes, I bet you $301 that he will mention a certain highway between Wilmington Delaware and Richmond, Virginia. It works like “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” You might discuss where your kids went to college. He would tell you that I went to Richmond and then tell you about how you must take Route 301 to get from Philly to Richmond. You might mention the traffic in your neighborhood. Eventually, Larry will tell you where you can expect a pleasant ride with a consistent amount of moving traffic… yes, you guessed it - Route 301. It has become a bit of a family joke. However, last Thanksgiving weekend was no laughing matter. My older brother was driving home with my dad and his family from a tournament in Richmond and chose to venture on I-95 through Washington DC, despite frequent reminders from my father about his beloved 301. Seven hours later, on a ride that usually takes four, meant that my dad would never let my older brother - or any of us - forget about 301.

Fast-forward to this Thanksgiving, and unfortunately, I needed to make that same drive home from the same tournament with my teenager that Sunday. Despite the insistence of the GPS, I decided I would continue to be the favorite child and follow the path of my father. I even had my daughter snap a photo of the road sign to brag to my family about how obedient and wise I was. Thirty minutes later, I was humbled as the traffic came to a complete stop. I had to back track 10 miles and somehow figure out how to get back to I-95, adding an extra hour to my journey.

With nothing but time to think, I couldn’t help but reflect on why we choose to take the paths we do. Are we driven by our drive – the desire to get there as fast as possible? Are we steered by the detours that others have had to take but don’t necessarily apply to our journey? Whether it’s our dad or our GPS that tells us to go a certain way, do we own the path we choose regardless of how it turns out? When the road splits, how often do we invite the Lord to guide us in the next turn? I decided the most helpful insight was not which road to choose, but simply not to go to a field hockey tournament on Thanksgiving weekend. As we enter more deeply into this season of Advent where we are asked to make straight the path for the Lord, let’s be sure to listen to His directions and believe that even if we get stuck along the way, He will bring us home.