Two Roads

I saw the picture above this afternoon as I was closing out my day at work and it totally spoke to me. I have often thought that I may have chosen the wrong road: whether it be a choice in profession or in a choice of relationships. But one thing I do know is that I have chosen the right road. No one ever told me that it would be an easy one or that it would be pain free. What I do know is that the road I have chosen is one that is rocky, has bumps and potholes all the way through it. Occasionally I hit a smooth patch but as soon as I get comfortable here comes another problem that disguises itself as a pothole that I have to hit or avoid.

We all have them: potholes. If you have ever driven across Arkansas on I-40 then you know exactly what I am talking about. A pothole can cause real damage if you hit it hard enough. You can blow out a tire or in extreme cases knock a hole in your oil pan causing catastrophic failure. It is how you react to these "potholes" that defines you. It is that split second decision that makes the difference. Do you swerve to avoid it or do you plow on through it?

In the last 8 months I have been on the roughest road of my entire life. I wish that I could say that I have acted rightly in each and every situation that has come my way. I wish I could sit here and tell you that I have always had the right attitude or that I have made the right decisions given the circumstances that I have faced. But what I can tell you is that I am not beaten. The potholes that are in my road are there for a reason and I am learning how best to avoid them. I have had to go through the "valley" so to speak to realize that it is only for a moment. I have had to take the bad in order to appreciate the good things that I am blessed with. Sure there have been times of despair and times of extreme sadness but I said it before and I will say it again: this will not defeat me. I know who wins in the end and I know that no matter what I do or say He holds the future. My future, your future, our future.

Don't allow the "road" and it's many "potholes" to derail what God intends to be a blessing. I promise that there is a blessing even in the bad things that we go through. It is our hope that separates us from everything else.