The Curves and Potholes of Life

It's happened to all of us.  You're on a road trip, the car is set on cruise control, the sun is shining, it's a great day.  Just when it seems like the perfect day out, WHAM!  You hit a pothole, it starts to rain, and you're stuck in the mud.  Ok, maybe it's not that dramatic, but you know what I mean.  Instead of the nice, straight road, there start to be curves and hills that require you to be more attentive to the road and less attentive to the fun.  When you get off of the highway, the roads aren't as well maintained and you run into potholes and have to swerve to miss them, if that's even possible.  What you thought was going to be the perfect day is not so perfect, and it can cause you to lose your joy in a hurry.

I remember a day like this not too long ago.  My family and I took a trip to enjoy a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in Cincinnati.  We were going to make a weekend of it, watching the entire series in a stadium we had never visited before.  As we drove down the highway, the sun was shining and there wasn't much traffic.  When we got to Cincinnati, however, the weather took a turn.  It started to rain, and they were calling for rain throughout the night.  And boy did it ever rain!  The first game we were to watch got postponed because of the weather.  No matter, we thought, we'll just explore the city for the night and watch the next day's game.  Then the rain turned into a deluge.  There we were, driving around in the dark in a city we had never visited before, in a downpour that we could barely see through.  We ended up going out to eat, checking out a book store, and then spending the rest of the evening in the hotel.  This was not how we planned to spend our first night in the city.  We were supposed to be sitting at the baseball game cheering on our Pirates.

Life can be just like this road trip sometimes.  You can be cruising along, everything is going well, life doesn't seem to have any problems at all.  It only takes a moment for that all to change, though.  The car breaks down on the day you have multiple appointments to keep.  A family member gets sick right at the time you are swamped at work and can't possibly miss.  Your furnace goes out on the coldest night of the year.  You see, life doesn't wait for convenient times for bad things to happen.  In fact, there is no such thing as a convenient time for bad things to happen.  And even if the potholes are small, they are still inconvenient, they are still frustrating, and they can still cause us to lose our joy.

So what do you do when life sends you down a road filled with potholes?  First, let's talk about what not to do.  Do not be afraid.  Do not be discouraged.  What should you do, then?  Be strong and courageous.  Here's what the Bible has to say about this in Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." And here is another promise from Deuteronomy 31:6: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." God is speaking the same words to you that He spoke to  Moses and Joshua. Life can be scary, but God will never leave you or forsake you, so there is no reason to fear.

The key is finding God in the midst of the struggle. That is sometimes easier said than done. Just remember: He is real, He is there, and He will help you. You can trust His promises. What you have to get into the habit of doing is putting your focus on him instead of the potholes and the mud. When you are afraid, open your Bible and battle that fear with the Word. When you feel like you can't take another step, get on your knees and seek His face. Whatever your situation, keep your eyes focused on Him.

Let these words encourage you, my friend. This life is a journey, and the road can be rough. But praise God! He is faithful!

P.S. The weather did shape up for the rest of our Cincinnati trip, we did get to see our games the rest of the weekend, and the Pirates even won!