On proceeding as the way opens…

You might know the lovely Quaker saying, “Proceed as the way opens.” In a risk averse era, one where we want absolute clarity and know that we are liable if we forget to read the small print, this is a gentle prompt to accept the ambiguity of life, and to remember that everything isn’t known in advance, but that we must trust the process, or better still, trust the steady hand of God, and proceed as the way opens.

Trouble is, this often requires patience. The way doesn’t always open as quickly or as obviously as we would like. The dilemma is not new. Ask Gideon, who required repeated reassurance from God that his call to lead the Israelites was indeed valid (Judges 6). His was a call he hadn’t been looking for – indeed, it wasn’t anywhere on his list of priorities. He was content to lead a life of bubbling cynicism and resentment, and had no expectation that this would change. But it did – and he was invited to proceed as the way opened in a manner he had never contemplated.

Gideon is probably not your name, and his experience is unlikely to be yours. For all that, it is possible that a way might open unexpectedly and offer opportunities you were not looking for. How should you react when an unanticipated option opens? Is the advice to “proceed as the way opens” to be followed blindly. Of course not! It is wise to be wise. All that glitters is not gold, and not every opportunity should be taken up. In fact, many opportunities should be shunned for the simple reason that they distract us from what we are meant to be doing.

So if the Quaker admonition should be viewed with some suspicion, why am I promoting it? Simply put, I see many people who are so set on the path they are on, that they are not open to new possibilities that God opens. And life is rich and full and there are marvellous possibilities everywhere.

I think the Quakers also want us to approach life with a sense of wonder. God is always present and always active, so rather than assume the absence of God, assume the presence of God. It is a discipline I am trying to cultivate – to stop and pause and ask, “Could God be in this?” and also “In what way is God a part of this?” Note what the question doesn’t assume. It doesn’t assume that everything is God directed, but it does assume that somewhere in the mix, God’s fingerprints are to be spotted. Put differently, in every situation, no matter how difficult, God provides a way forward – so proceed as the way opens.

No, I am not saying that every sickness comes from God, or that every retrenchment has been orchestrated by God or that every relationship breakdown is from God. But I am saying that God is there somewhere, so be open to the wonder of that. As the old hymn puts it, “Standing somewhere in the shadows you’ll find Jesus, He’s the only one who cares or understands; standing somewhere in the shadows you will find Him, and you’ll know Him by the nail prints in His hands.“

It is right to ask the “what now?” question. What am I supposed to do now that everything has deviated from plan and things feel out of control?

Pause, breathe deeply, ask God what you are supposed to do in this impossible situation, and then proceed as the way opens… And a way will open. It might be slow and circuitous, for God is rarely in a hurry. Indeed, as as a general rule, quick fixes are not from God – while the longer route where we learn much on the way, often is.

What if we take the wrong route?

Let’s be clear. God does not abandon us because we take a wrong turn. After all, if our GPS is able to redirect us when we ignore its initial instruction, God is more than capable of doing so. That’s helpful to remember, because it’s the reminder that even when I am at fault, God is more than able to open a new way – a way which is opened in love, with the generous invitation, “proceed as the way opens.” That may be through repentance, or a careful review of our life and values, a study of scripture, or a discussion with other Jesus followers. Often it is simply through keeping our eyes open and seeing what opens before us.

Jesus promised those who follow him, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20). That’s a good reason not to be anxious, but to proceed as the way opens. After all, the one who opens the path is the one who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

Nice chatting…

Photo by Niklas Jeromin: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-path-through-the-woods-with-trees-and-leaves-19711312/

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