Ughh.... I can't tell you how tired I am of all the road work going on around here. Every time I go somewhere, I hit at least one or two miles of road work. A couple weeks ago... it was the opposite side of the road from my daughter's school. So every morning... I would go the long way home so that I didn't have to drive on the torn up road. They had torn up all of the old asphalt and prepared the road for new asphalt. Only... it seemed like forever between the time that they tore up the old... and put on the new. Imagine my surprise Monday morning when I turned to take my daughter to school.... and they were now on my side of the road. There is no way around it. I am going to have to drive that way every morning to take her to school. It is so bumpy... and rough. Loose stones flying around everywhere. A smooth way.... Is that really too much to ask for??
Today as I bumped along... my mind wandered to some other bumpy, rough, tough places. Like struggles that we go through in our life. Hurt. Pain. Loss. Frustration. Depression. Discouragement. Anger... among many other things. I thought about how God has to tear up the old existence... the old reactions... the old relationships... the old prideful ways... so that He can bring us to a smooth place. A place of beauty.
Isaiah 42:16 says...
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them,
and make the rough places smooth.
His goal is our holiness. Not our happiness. His goal is for us to be just like His Son. Not like who we are without Him. The final product is to be a beautiful planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)
I know that the goal of those sweet... sweaty... hardworking road men is for us to have a beautiful smooth road to drive on. But, it will not be that way until the old is torn up... and the new put down. So... maybe God is just going to remind me every morning that He is also in the road business... tearing up the old... to bring the new. Even though the way may be bumpy and rough.... I can trust that He will make it smooth.
1Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared in give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
10 comments:
Hey, Lynn! I think it's that way over most of SC!!!They even had pothole alerts on the News the other night!!!I love the sign though--it made me smile!!
This was a great post, friend! Thanks so much for this reminder!
Have a happy and blessed Easter!
Susan
Good post.
Even though it is hard to deal with, sometimes the bumps we face is how God reaches us!
Thanks and Love ya,
Have a great night!
This is great, Lynn. I love the connection between the physical road and our spiritual road. It's fabulous. It is so, so true, He MUST tear up the old to lay new in our lives. There is no way around it. Yet, isn't it the process of tearing up the old what makes the new so beautiful and makes our hearts truly grateful?!!
God uses the brokenness in our lives. ACtually, I believe He can't really and fully use us until we are fully broken.
Amen, He is not concerned with our happiness but our holiness. If we happen to be happy in the process of becoming holy, then that's just icing on the cake.
Great words.
Come see me. Don't forget to enter my give-away if you haven't and are interested.
Love,
Paula
He's been working on my road for a long season. I suppose it's the way of a long obedience; it sure can be rough going though.
Great thoughts, Lynn. Peace to you and your family this Easter remembrance.
~elaine
Enjoyed this post! SO true and a big AMEN!
Have a wonderful Easter weekend.
Hey Sweetheart...that was beautiful and insightful!
I've been absent from blog world, but I'm alive and living in real world sort of overcommitted in helping in all sorts of ministries..but got to get some and do those to the glory of GOD well.
I'm doing a give-away...Breaking Free so pop over to my blog and sign up if you like. Love you
T
"Tearing up the old...bringing in the new"-that is so God!!
Great post!
In His Graces~Pamela
Lynn
I have an award for you over at my blog...feel free to pick it up at anytime...
Tessa
Just poppin in...hope everything is ok...missed your posts'.
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