Potholes are a part of life. Both on the highway and metaphorically in our lives. Sometimes potholes are avoidable and you can see them ahead of time then many times you hit them accidentally.
I just recently started a new job - my first in over 30 years. I knew going into the job that things would not be perfect and there have been some things I don’t like about the job but that’s going to be true with any job. Just like driving on the road, no road is going to be smooth. There are going to be potholes along the way. You either go around them or hit them but you still move on. There are negative things that pop up in life. Some expected and some that totally put you on the side of the road. It doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not, these things will happen to us all. The important thing is how we cope with them. Are we going to fuss and complain or do we regroup and get back on the road of life?
The longer you live, the more you will understand that potholes are a part of life. The Bible even tells us that we are going to face problems. (John 16:33) If believers weren’t going to have any problems, Jesus wouldn’t have told us to expect them. Some in the so-called “prosperity ministry” tell us that the more we “sow” into their ministry, the more blessings we will have in our lives. Let me break the news to you about that - it doesn’t matter how much money you give to a ministry or tithes you pay into a church, it is no guarantee that you won’t have problems or hit some potholes in life.
I am one that likes to plan and wants to know what is coming. I don’t like being surprised by something I didn’t plan for - especially with the budget. It seems just when I have something figured out that the house, car, dog or medical issues happen to totally blindside me. While I don’t like it and may be stunned at the moment, I have tried to learn to roll with it and trust that God is in control even if I lose control. Isaiah 41:10 assures us that God is with us regardless of what we encounter. Nothing takes God by surprise. Now that has to be comforting doesn’t it? While I cringe when something blows up the budget, I am also amazed when money comes from something unexpected to help us at the right moment.
Negative things, like potholes, are a part of life. Jobs aren’t perfect. Budgets won’t always go as planned. But God loves us and having a relationship with Him will keep us in those times we aren’t feeling so great about hitting those potholes. They can also serve as a reminder that we don’t know everything. Planners like me have to realize that we can’t plan everything that will happen. We have to be willing to adjust. We can’t live ahead, we can only live right now. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
