“Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” This rhyme and several others are a delight for young children who love to spin in circles. However, I don’t think the same could be said of those who navigate the roundabout travel circle on Hwy 60 by Worthington. At least three times in the last several weeks, the roundabout has been the scene of somebody’s very bad day. Two overturned semi trucks and an airborne camper have not delighted in this particular circle. While the travel circle is intended to reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions by slowing down traffic and minimizing the amount of T-bone and head-on collisions, the roundabout has proven difficult for some travelers to navigate. Personally, I would rather wait at a stop light than try and figure out the circle.
I wonder if the ancient Israelites might have said the same thing. For 40 years they circled and wandered through the hill country of Seir. This was part of God’s retirement plan for those who grumbled against him and refused to trust and follow him. God had proven himself faithful over and over again between Egypt and the Promised Land—parting the Red Sea, destroying the Egyptian army, bitter water made sweet, manna, quail, water from a rock, not to mention pillars of fire and clouds as their personal travel guide. And yet when God asked them to take the next step, they placed their trust in a handful of naysayers rather than God himself. So God said “walk”.
Walking on a journey is tiring; walking in circles is maddening.
After the final member of the Generation Doubters had breathed their last, God spoke to the people again. “You have circled this mountain long enough; now turn north.” I have been stuck in the Worthington roundabout for one or two circles and have experienced great peace of mind when I get headed in the right direction again, but can you imagine the celebration and relief of Moses and the people when God revealed their new northerly travel plans?
Truth be told, these same words have also been life changing for me since I heard God speak to me at a Women of Faith conference in 2009. As I heard the presenter read this story in Deuteronomy, the Holy Spirit convicted me of mountains in my own life that I had been traveling around and around for years. Not the mountains of Seir, but mountains named Anger, Unforgiveness, Jealousy, and Pride. Mountains that had been sucking the life out of me. Mountains that were growing instead of shrinking. The invitation to stop the madness, break the pattern, and change directions brought freedom, joy, and peace. The north bound lane hasn’t been easy. There have been speed bumps, flat tires, traffic congestion, and even an occasional roundabout along the way, but it has been so much better going north with God than traveling in circles alone.
It’s just a hunch, but I’m guessing you have a few of your own circles with a well-worn path. You don’t have to keep walking them. Ask God to help you with a change of direction. Let Jesus be your travel companion and allow the Holy Spirit to do some recalculating on your journey. The past is in the past. A new day is dawning. Are you ready to turn North?
Erin Jacobsma