On that long ago Journey to the Divide in Colorado, miles before we neared Estes Park and those curving mountain roads, we traveled in our two vans through some local towns.  For the first several miles we were near each other in traffic.  Then suddenly my sister and I could no longer spot the van my brother in law was driving.  This was the very early days of mobile phones so we couldn’t call them to see where they were.  My sister insisted they had simply taken an alternate route and we would find them once we reached the park.  I was quite worried about the occupants in that van. Then we hit those curving roads that brought me a different worry.  

Another route in my own life was brought to my mind as I enjoyed my morning coffee.  I have three “favorite” coffee mugs.  All three are larger than the normal coffee cup, so I only need to refill it once in the morning hours.  Last week I used one of my oldest mugs that just happened to be a gift from a former student; a Christmas gift from 2000!!  For two school years in the early 2000’s I worked as a special education paraprofessional in a middle school small group setting with differently abled students.  This particular coffee mug was a gift from one of the girls in the class.  She loved to draw and design dresses.  Her artistic ability always fascinated me.  My position at the middle school was my return to my love of helping educate students after a break to be a mom.  

After two years in the small group setting, I had the opportunity to transfer to the elementary school all my kids attended.  It was a much shorter commute to work and was also where my youngest child was in school.  I spent  eleven and a half years helping educate four and five year olds.  Then one my most treasured job called me.  I was blessed to help educate the children of our church by serving as the children’s minister full time for seven years.  Changes in  life called me back to public education in 2021.  I am once again in a middle school small group classroom helping educate students who are differently abled.  The advancement of using technology to assist students who need a voice has shown me how rewarding my job has become.  Seeing – and hearing – students use a variety of technical devices to share their needs, wants, and knowledge brings me to happy tears daily.  I have taken many routes in the past 25 years.  

Sipping my coffee from that mug last week reminded me that God uses all the routes we take to guide us to the right place at the right time.  Every job I have held that allowed me to help educate students in any way was a blessing.  God certainly used my various crossroads and detours to lead me to the perfect end of my career in education. The joy I have every day with my current students is the joy I need as I near my retirement years. As these students mature and gain new skills, I hope to stay in touch with their families so that I can hear of once unreachable goals being achieved.  

Back to that trip to Estes Park, CO many years ago and the drive that found our two vans taking separate routes.  The route that my sister chose took us through one small town that had a very distinctly pungent odor for miles.  My sister explained that it was skunk mating season and their spray was prevalent as they worked to attract new mates.  It was a very unpleasant odor for those miles of our trip.   The route my brother in law chose avoided that odor.  He remembered that one town was a preferred location for the skunks and chose to avoid driving through.  So, we all ended up meeting at the right location. One van was full of riders that enjoyed a pleasant smelling route while the other held riders that had to breath deep once fresher smelling air was around us.  And we enjoyed the sites and signs of Rocky Mountain National Park together.