Do Not Turn Aside Neither to the Left Nor to the Right

Parking is difficult. I’ve often stepped out of the car, thinking I had parked perfectly, only to find it sitting crooked within the lines. For a long time, I couldn’t understand why. Then one day, I discovered something simple yet eye-opening: if I looked straight ahead once the car was mostly aligned within the lines, it would naturally fall into place. Up until then, I had focused solely on checking the left and right boundaries. But when I fixed my gaze forward and adjusted the wheel, parking became easier—and more accurate.

It reminded me of the moments when my faith had wavered and I had lost my spiritual balance.

So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. Dt 5:32–33

Each time I repeated mistakes I had vowed not to make again, my heart grew heavy. The harder I tried to find answers, the further they seemed to drift from me. In hindsight, it was no mystery. Though I desired to enter the kingdom of heaven, I often fixed my eyes on worthless things, failing to look to the One who leads the way: our Heavenly Father and Mother. But now, things will be different. I will turn neither to the left nor to the right. I will set my eyes on God alone, and press forward.