a bend in the road

"My future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla. I wonder how the road beyond it goes--what there is of green glory and soft, checkered light and shadows--what new landscapes--what new beauties--what curves and hills and valleys further on."

-Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

I read this book recently, and started thinking about the bends in the road that I have experienced. As a teenager, I had my entire life mapped out. I knew exactly what I would be doing and where. I knew who I was going to marry, where I would serve a mission (if I would serve a mission was not an option), what I would graduate from college in, and what my career would be. To be honest, I feel like I had the answers to most of the questions long before I was a teenager! I prided myself in being the one in control, and was stubborn enough to argue with anyone who mentioned alternative options.

One of the biggest bends in the road that I ever experienced was when I met Ryan. Up until that point, almost everything in my life had happened according to plan - I could still see what lied ahead for me. When our relationship got to the point where we openly discussed marriage, I could almost literally see my life's path turning from everything that I had previously known. So many choices, decisions, and outcomes changed. I realized that by making the decision to marry Ryan, I was consciously choosing the path that would require more faith than I had ever had because I could not see past the bend in the road.

It's only been three and a half years since then, but I must say they are the best I have ever experienced. I realize now that we are constantly faced with bends in the road - and it is our choice to be grateful for them and enjoy them to the fullest. Marriage, becoming parents, starting medical school, moving across the country, deciding on a residency, raising our family, living every-day life - all of these things throw surprises at us. But the sweetest blessings are found in the moments when you recognize Heavenly Father's direction in your life, and how He knows better than you do. I am so grateful for the choices I have made - with His help - that have led me to where I am today.

There are still many bends ahead, and it's a little scary sometimes thinking about what the future holds for me and my family. But I also love the possibilities that we can choose from. I wonder how the road goes beyond the next bend ...