Repairing Potholes

It's been quite a year of wacky weather - and we're less than two weeks in.

It began here in the Northeastern U.S. with snow. And depending on just where in that area you live, total accumulations thus far vary from 6 inches to almost 6 feet.

Then came the Arctic blast, and we all added a new phrase to our vocabularies - polar vortex. Photos of rivers, oceans and lakes frozen over, filled the feed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Yesterday, my 15 minute commute to work took five times as long because of unexpected freezing rain that made every road an ice rink.  It wasn't as bad as the ice storm we'd had a week or so before, but dangerous nonetheless, mostly because it came as a surprise.

Today, the temps hit almost 60 degrees...in January...in New Jersey...the day after freezing rain racked up several multi-car accidents in and around my neighborhood. But I can't really enjoy the outdoors and this unseasonable warm up because it's also raining buckets.  All. day. long.  And as I type this, I even hear thunder.

Yup...it's been quite a year for wacky weather.

But as I drove the roads that were now clear of snow and ice this morning, I noticed something just as dangerous left behind.

Potholes.  

They are ubiquitous. Some small, some large, some huge. The tar has expanded and contracted, cracked and given way because of all the weather changes. Left untended, potholes continue to expand and can cause an accident or at very least, ruin the tires and the suspension of your car, leaving you stranded on the road.

One of the most insidious things about potholes is that often, you don't see them until it's too late and the damage is done.

And it got me thinking.

Our lives can be like that can't they?  

Filled with all manner of storms that can leave us damaged and dealing with the potholes of...Bitterness. Hurt.  Fear. Insecurity. Depression. Anger.

When that happens, the natural reaction is to try to patch the damage.  The problem is, a patch is a temporary fix and the pothole of issues remains underneath.

Because it's a weak spot in the road of our lives, when the next storm comes, that area is the first place to show damage again.  And so we try patching it again...maybe this time with something different.

The patches we reach for in our lives don't have to be something destructive like drugs, alcohol, excessive shopping, or overeating.  They could be something that seems innocuous on the surface like throwing yourself into work or church.

No matter what the patch is made up of, the area will crack again.

But have you ever seen a road resurfaced?  All the patches are scraped away and the road is exposed to its base. The roadway is then filled up with one continuous pouring of material to bind it together making it safe and strong.

That's the way it is when we turn those potholes over to God.  Psalm 147:3 tells us:  "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  Healing is not patching.

If you've been patching up your potholes...dealing with the damage of life's storms with temporary fixes...it's time to let the master Engineer remove all the crushed and broken pieces so He can fill you up, bind you together, and make you strong.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  Psalm 34:18

DETOUR AHEAD!

I've finally realized something. 

Life is full of detours.

You're probably not shocked or surprised by my detour discovery, but I can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

Somehow, that big orange warning always catches me off guard. I'm riding along, everything going according to plan, when suddenly, the signs tell me I need to go a different way.

A way that I don't know. 

A way, that I suspect, is going to take me longer to arrive than I anticipated. 

But the way forward is blocked.

I have choices. I can be short-sighted and become frustrated and angry by the roadblock.  I can turn around and give up. Or I can trust that the one who put up the signs knows the lay of the land far beyond my limited scope. I can believe those detour signs will lead me to where I'm supposed to go.

So, I trust and follow the arrows.

Because the detour wasn't my choice, I view it as an inconvenience at best, and at worst, it's downright scary. The way can seem dark and winding. It often leads me deeper into unfamiliar territory.

But I continue to look for the arrows to guide me. 

Maybe my realization isn't so much that there ARE detours but that there are REASONS for the detours. They aren't as random as they appear.

I may be heading toward potholes big enough to do real damage. I have discovered this truth when I've insisted on ignoring the signs. Proverbs 14:12 says: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

And Proverbs 16:9 instructs: "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."  Sometimes, I'm in such a rut, going the same way day after day, that my route needs a fresh view.  

A view that's unexpected and beautiful...maybe even life-changing.

It may be that I was never supposed to reach my intended destination at all.

As I contemplate some of the major detours in my life, I realize that each one brought me to a better place. Every exciting opportunity that has come my way has been an unforeseen detour from the road I was on, from the destination I had in mind.

Conversely, when the detour signs were ignored...when I grabbed the wheel for all it was worth and plowed ahead in spite of warnings, I got stuck in the mud, ran off the road or in some way or another, found myself in trouble. 

The good news is, God has always been gracious to bring me back to the road he wanted me on.

Have you been detoured?

Maybe you didn't get the job you thought was "perfect" for you. Or into your first choice of school - or second or third. Perhaps something that appeared to be working out, didn't - a business deal, a relationship, a bid on your dream house. 

Don't stare at the roadblock. Don't high tail it back home and abandon your journey.

Follow the detour and see where it leads.

It may take a little longer than you'd like. It may look like you're heading deeper into the woods.  But if God puts up a detour sign, He'll get you where you need to be, because it's where He wants you to be. Don't fight the detour...enjoy the ride!

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