lie before (someone or something)
1. To physically exist in front or ahead of someone or something. As we trudged through the desert, it looked as though a magnificent oasis lay before us, but it was just a mirage, some accursed trick of the sun. Some worrisome footprints lie before our front door—I hope we've not been burgled!
2. To be or exist in the future of someone or something. One should never presume to know what may lie before them, as life is far often more fickle than that.