Setback or Switchback? Trusting God in Unexpected Turns
Have you ever had a word seem to jump out at you when reading the Bible or a passage in a book? Today, I found myself captivated by a word in a passage from Lighthearted by Susie Crosby:
"The path He leads us on will have nice level places, plenty of rocky spots, some steep switchbacks for sure, and indescribably beautiful viewpoints. We will be tempted to take dangerous shortcuts. We might trip and fall, but He will help us get back up and keep going. We will be profoundly challenged, and we will be greatly rewarded. We will have sore, tired muscles, but we will have stronger hearts and lifted spirits as we walk with Him."
Grasping the Deeper Meaning
Susie's words are a breath of fresh air, painting a picture of life as a challenging but beautiful hike, designed specifically for each of us by God. But amidst all that encouragement, one word kept nagging at me:
Switchbacks.
It’s a word I’ve read countless times in various books, tucked into quotes that I’ve admired and saved. Truthfully, I never really knew what it meant. It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it? Our eyes glide past a word or a phrase, satisfied that the context gives us the gist, without ever pausing to dive deeper into its true meaning.
The idea of "switchbacks" lingered in my mind, so I scoured my list of quotes from some of my favorite authors. Bingo! My ever-growing Master Quote List held the answers.
In A Sweet and Bitter Providence, pastor and author John Piper encourages us, "Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns.”
Until I looked up the definition, I never quite grasped the depth of meaning in these messages. A switchback, it turns out, is a sharp turn on a mountain trail, where the path doubles back on itself. When your path winds back unexpectedly, it can be frustrating at best. At worst, you might begin to worry that you’ll never climb to higher ground.
When a Switchback Feels Like a Setback
When we don’t have perspective over the climb, a switchback can resemble a setback, can’t it? After all, it can be discouraging to double back in rough terrain instead of quickly ascending to a spacious place.
Think about these crushing setbacks:
The time you thought your cancer was in remission—only to face a relapse.
The time your loved one seemed to conquer their addiction—but you learned otherwise when the hospital called.
The time you finally found financial stability—only to be hit by unexpected medical bills.
During a setback, you cannot understand how your path has taken a sudden turn for the worse. You might feel defeated, as though all of your efforts will never lead to higher ground. Yet every setback holds room for God’s grace and power to prevail.
Here’s a thought: Our setbacks might just be hidden switchbacks—leading us to high and holy ground.
God’s Grace in the Switchbacks
A switchback is not aimless wandering; every step is leading us and shaping us into the people God is calling us to be. We might not understand the reason for the setbacks in our lives, but we can trust that God will be with us every step. As Piper reminds us, “God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.”
When we face setbacks, we can trust that God is for us and with us in every twisting path and unexpected turn. During every setback, let’s move forward in faith, trusting that our Good Shepherd will lead us on paths of life.
Today’s Question: What have you learned from your setbacks? And when life feels like an endless series of switchbacks, how do you find the strength to keep going?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
