Upon returning from my recent trip, as I drove the next morning on the main road, close to my home, I noticed that the roads had been made very rugged.
Instead of being annoyed at what I considered to have been pretty good roads before I left, I actually got a sense of anticipation and excitement.
You see, having been a driver for many years and especially where I live, I know that this major roadwork, while annoying in the short term will create beautiful roads, in the not too distant future.
I needed to run an errand later in the day, a little bit farther from my home, but on the same stretch of road; I got a glimpse of what the finished product will look like. It was beautiful and smooth. And I smiled. This is the same outcome that I can look forward to experiencing once the roadwork is finished closer to my home.
As I drove downhill in Jamaica, on their highways, I noticed a difference in the grade of the finishing. On the side that I was going downhill had just enough of a rugged texture for my car tires to grip the roads as I easily drove down and when I looked on the other side, the road had a much smoother finish.
In that moment, I was grateful for the designers of the road who knew that sometimes when you are going downhill, a smooth ride is not the best and you needed some friction for your tires (and life too).
Often times in our lives, when God has started construction work and started prepping the surfaces, by breaking up what we thought was smooth, we may not know how quickly the surfaces will be redone. We will need to hold on tight, trusting that the disruption will be worth it and just like I saw a preview of the finished roads, that in the end, it will be beautiful.
In the meantime, we will have to hold on tight, to the One who does the breaking apart, and will ultimately make it beautiful.
Ecclesiastes 3:11a comes to mind, ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time.’
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to see and experience a different perspective of things that would ordinarily be frustrating to me. You are showing me that there are more ways than what I understand to see things. Father, would you allow me to see this disappointments and unexpected changes from your perspective?