Sydney was upset last night. I don’t know if her internal angst was authentic, or if she was grasping at straws to find a way to stay up a little later. In any case, she was feeling down and needed a moment to process. In true drama queen fashion, Sydney burst out with, “Why is everything so weird? Nothing is normal! Our family is not right!” Followed by instant tears.
What she was referring to was Brooklyn’s chickenpox, a playroom in disarray as my in-laws are helping us to complete a room remodel, spring break, and wild bursts of mad house cleaning by yours truly, in preparation for my parents’ arrival (which is today, by the way). All of which have put a halt to our regular routine and structure. Being a person who craves both of these, I could relate to Sydney’s momentary breakdown. What I said to her is what I have to say to myself on a sometimes regular basis.
There are times when we are going along our merry way and all of a sudden we encounter a little bump in the road. Occasionally, there are several little bumps all at once that can quickly slow us down or change our direction. They aren’t always bad, but most of the time, they aren’t what we were hoping for or expecting.
Since we can’t control when or where those bumps in the road will pop up – like the chickenpox – it is imperative to learn how to maneuver around these inconveniences. We ( meaning me) are so accustomed to preparing for the big stuff that comes our way. We believe that God will grant us the faith, strength, and perseverance to get through, and over, the Mount Everests in life. But what about the bumps in the road?
I heard a story, recently, about a man who ran across the United States of America. When he reached the finish line, a reporter asked him what was the most difficult part in the journey? Was it the long trek through the desert? Or the endless days running through fields of wheat and corn? When the runner was finally able to catch his breath, he shook his head and went on to say that it was none of those things that made the journey difficult. It was, in fact, the sand in his shoes.
It’s not always the obvious challenges of life, but the sand in our shoes that causes our faith to falter.
The bumps will come and go. And one day, when we look back, we’ll see that the rough patch was never as bad as we thought it was. We don’t know what lies around the corner, and there may be more bumps to encounter, but with God’s grace, we’ll make it through. I don’t want to allow a few minor inconveniences to upset my faith or cause me to question God’s presence in my life. As noble as it is to trust God to get me over the mountains, I believe it is equally so to trust His hand when I face a few bumps in the road.
No matter what you are facing, may you know today that God is with you. His hand is upon you. He’ll be there through the big stuff, and even the little stuff. And, if your mountains are looking more and more like little speed bumps right now, may your faith in God’s presence not shrink right along with them. May your faith, in fact, be big enough to get you through whatever bumps in the road you face today.
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