POTHOLE PHENOMENON

Potholes!

They seem to suddenly appear out of nowhere and are usually a nuisance. Encase you live under a rock and don’t know what a pothole is, here is a definition.

“A type of failure/hole in the pavement or road caused by the presence of water in the underlying soil structure. The presence of traffic passing over the affected area introduces water to the underlying soil structure and weakens the supporting soil. Traffic then fatigues and breaks the poorly supported surface.”

Everybody has to cope with pot holes even spiritually. They can derail us from the journey God has for us. I’m sure all of us could tell stories from our experiences with pot holes.

These pot holes are events or actions that have impacted or shaken our lives. Surprise or not, these potholes are always popping up in our path. Fear, doubt, illness, despair, relationships, financial woes, the list goes on. They all exist and appear on the journey of life. We don’t like them, but the potholes of life can have a positive impact too!

Potholes ask us to snap to attention

In our everyday life, we can become lazy, and easily distracted by phones, Facebook, work-place dramas, or negative news cycles.

Potholes demand a more careful approach to driving: our mind and eye must be focused and taut, or else we will, quite literally, fall into the pit. Life’s potholes call us to strip bare of distractions and become more focused on the Lord.

Potholes invite us to avoid traps which will injure us.

We can choose to drive on the same path again and again, and hit the unavoidable bump which jolts our heads and jams our vehicles. Or, we could choose a different path.

Potholes in life call us to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. To turn down a different road and avoid that pothole all together.

Potholes call us into greater community

How many of us have carefully followed the car in front of us, who clearly knows where danger lies? Potholes call us to unite together, to learn from those who have gone before us, how better to reach our goals in the Christian life. To be charitable toward our neighbour, drawing us all toward greater love of God.

When there is a sudden event in our lives that challenges our faith and tests us, we can choose to walk out our lives in a way pleasing to God or we can become bitter or angry. But God always makes a way for us and gives us His wonderful promises.

In times of testing we must trust the Lord; Psalm 121: 1-7 - I look up to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker or heaven and earth. He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you!”

We may face some difficult times but God assures us that He is there. What potholes do you keep hitting? Hitting a pothole on the road can give you a puncture, buckle a wheel, or even damage your cars suspension. It’s time to call on the AA or RAC. When we experience such an event we too have an answer for our “spiritual pothole” questions. That answer is Jesus.

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.”