The Road

We put so much effort in constructing safe lives… lives in which we walk around covered in bubble wrap so nothing ever happens to us. We want the assurance of security and of a comfortable life. We want the safety of a plan that doesn’t get altered. We want to walk along a smooth path without any roadblocks, potholes, detours, ditches or tripping hazards. The smallest pebble under our feet symbolizes a failure in what we picture as the perfect life.

Sigh…

What’s wrong with wanting that?

Nothing!

The problem with that scenario is… that it is unrealistic at best, impossible at worst. No matter who you are, how much money you have, how healthy you are, how perfect life may seem…there will always be something that qualifies as a bump on the road.

So, what does that mean? Is happiness utterly unattainable on this side of eternity? What about this talk about joy? Paul commands us to “Rejoice in the Lord, always!” (Philippians 4:4) How can we rejoice when we are in de depth of our dark night of the soul?

I have no clue…

At the slightest sign of “uneven pavement” ahead, I crumble…I go into panic mode. I can’t give any words of wisdom on how to stay strong when the going gets rough…because I can’t do it on my own. If I were to depend on my own strength and abilities during my times of fiery trial, I would have been burned a long time ago.

I am weak. I can’t withstand the storm alone. I can’t walk through the rough patches on my own.

I need You, Lord. And I need all the help you can send me through your beloved. I don’t want to be a burden, but I am needy. I am in need of all the support I can get from those who love the Lord, and love me. I don’t like to appear weak, but I am, and if I don’t ask for help, I’d fall into the pit right ahead of me. I have to grab hold of those who have compassion on my soul, and above all, I have to hold on tightly to the robe of my Savior, Jesus Christ, My Lord!

I despair as I speculate about the future. I believe the lies of the enemy. I trust everything else, but the One that holds the whole world in His Hands. I need His presence. I need Him to break every chain. I need those He has placed along my path to help me carry my pain.

Life cannot be one long-smooth road. But it could be a road planted with wonderful trees that provide much needed shade when we need some rest. It could be a road where, at every rough patch, bump or detour, there is someone else there, offering us a tall and refreshing glass of cold water. It could be a road that I walk hand in hand with My Lord!

He gives and takes away…but my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your Name!