Unimproved Roads

There are times in life when we ask ourselves, especially during difficult moments, why do we have to pass this way?  All of us have been here and have asked that question, none of us are exempt; There might have been a time when you lost your job, had a family member sick or even worse lost someone dear to you. Unfortunately or fortunately all of us will most likely be there again and have to experience the experience.

Traveling the unimproved roads in life are rarely a willful choice; there are very few road maps and even fewer sign posts to point the way back to the interstate. Once off the asphalt, traveling these roads are fraught with personal, family and spiritual dangers; if not careful the potholes, the roads’ soft shoulder and steep cliffs can cause severe damage or death to you physically and or spiritually.  Instead of acting to influence the situation for our betterment we allow ourselves, at times, to be acted upon and the situation influences us.

Focusing on the road and road conditions can cause us to be myopic in our views;  This shortsightedness could lead to a wrong turn, down a more unwanted path with larger potholes, softer shoulders and steeper cliffs.  Instead, we need to keep focused on the destination, even though the visibility is low.  I love the analogy of Lehi’s Dream and the Rod of Iron; if we could just keep the destination in mind and our hands on the rod we will eventually leave the mist, come through the fog and enter into better visibility and more pleasant days.  There will be times that we will not know the destination of the journey we have been placed on; these are the times we need to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as all things are in His hands.  Life is not fair, but in the end the Lord will make all things right;  The balance sheets will all balanced out and all things will be as they should be.  This I believe, This I know because Christ is what He said He is; He is The Son of the Most High God, He is The King of Kings, He is Kind and Loving, His Bowels are full of Mercy and His Grace sufficient.

If we allow the situation to act upon us and complain of the path that we’re on, we might very well miss the teaching moment the Master is trying to share with us.  These temporal moments we are experiencing are short lived;  they will pass and they will seem to us as a dream when compared against the backdrop of the eternities.

Adam has never complained of the road given him to travel; his path is very unimproved. He knows his path is different;  he has said: “Mom, I know I am different, but it’s ok… it doesn’t bother me.”  He is wise for his age, mature for his allotted time and ever willing to accept the potholes, soft shoulder and even the cliffs. I know God has a place reserved for him.

Above I mentioned that it might be fortunate that we have unimproved roads to travel on.. that might seem counter intuitive. It’s not, through our difficulties, disappointments, and despair, whatever they may be, we are being taught the lessons that will last, the lessons that will count in the eternity;  They come from Him who descended below all things… as it was once asked….”Art thou greater than He?”

May your journey be insightful, remember to act and not be acted upon.