This is today's devotion that is listed on Proverbs31.org. After talking to my high risk OB today and letting the information sink in some I came to this devotion. This really makes sense to my life. My life has been interrupted with many different road construction sites. First it was my pregnancy and life with Carly then it was her death. Then it was my little brothers car accident leaving him suffering with a severe traumatic brain injury then the birth our dead second daughter Hannah. My life has been full of interruptions, but I know that soon it will lead to a beautiful garden that God has been patiently creating for me to enjoy. I just have to keep on following God path and soon He will reveal it to me. Please read on to see what I'm talking about.
Orange and White Barrels
Van Walton
“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths… I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16 (NIV)
Last spring I monotonously approached my neighborhood exit where a newly posted sign announced that I could not make my normal left turn. Lined up on the road as far as I could see around the bend was a neatly laid row of orange and white barrels. Road construction had interrupted my usual routine.
My daily plans would now be detoured due to the construction. Faced with this disruption that would surely put a kink in my life, I felt agitated and even hit the steering wheel with my fist. I would have to design new ways to reach my destinations and I wasn’t happy about it.
One day when construction was completed enough to allow some through traffic, I turned left and surveyed the sights. I couldn’t believe what I saw. No more lovely forest. Gone were the inviting trails into the woods. Decades-old wooden fences and bridges had disappeared. Honestly, the place resembled the combined affects of earthquake and fire. That whole summer I rolled up to the intersection with its orange and white barrels, and it triggered in me negative thoughts and feelings.
Soon after, my life was more seriously interrupted. A disturbing phone call forced me to drop everything. The bad news exploded like a bomb - my heart and mind quaked with emotion. Spiritual frustration filled my soul in the following months. I can’t remember how many times my fist hit hard places. I screamed at God when life carried me away from the direction I wanted to take.
“How long will You take me out of my way?” I questioned God. I longed for my life before the interruption. Managing my days on autopilot was no longer an option as I faced my new circumstances. Slowly I began to see that this spiritual reconstruction paralleled the roadwork outside my neighborhood.
Once all the orange and white barrels were gone and I was free to turn left at that intersection, I appreciated the results. Smooth asphalt spread out before me. Two lanes of traffic moved steadily. The “earthquake zone” had been transformed into a park-like setting. A tree-lined sidewalk encouraged pedestrians to walk toward the ballpark and the neighborhood church. Admiring the new landscape, I realized I’d been inconvenienced, but now I could see that the long delays were worthwhile.
Today, although my life continues to zigzag through various “construction sites,” I realize God allowed me to experience the orange and white-barreled roads to illustrate a truth. He is at work up ahead rearranging the landscape of my life. Psalm 37:34 says, “Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land.” (NLT)
I may not be able to see what that land looks like, but I believe His Word. So, with His help, I put my hope in Him, traveling the paths He lays out for me, even though they are not the familiar roads I would normally take.
Father God, You know how difficult life is right now. My interrupted life and the difficult roads You have me traveling feel like they’ll break me. Give me the capacity to graciously travel the paths You lay out before me. Help me trust You, In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Visit Van Walton’s blog
From the Pound to the Palace by Van Walton
Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner by Wendy Blight
Application Steps:
Memorize one of the referenced Bible verses. Pray it out loud when disruptions threaten to interrupt your life.
Reflections:
How has my life been interrupted recently?
How would God have me respond to this most recent disturbance?
Power Verses:
Psalm 25:4, “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.” (NLT)
© 2009 by Van Walton. All rights reserved.
5 comments:
Wow Rachel. I'm in tears. Your words do this quite frequently to me. You have such great faith and I can only hope to match what you have in my lifetime. You are definitely the strongest woman I know. I've never really thought about life like this. I'm definitely going to remember it this way from now on. You will get through all these construction zones and road blocks. One thing's for sure though, God is using you to touch so many people.
Rachel, you have touched a heart from Columbia, IL. I just wanted to let you know that you and your family are in my prayers.
Rachel,
I found your site and love it. What a great tribute to your angel. I too lost my baby. I have been to my lowest and reading your blog has given me renewed faith. Stef84 said it perfectly, God is using you to touch so many people! May God bless you always!
As always this place has in me in tears. You are such a beautiful soul dear Rachel.
You are in my heart today x
I just found your blog tonight and I must say that I am so deeply touched by this post. I cried as I read about "road blocks" and "construction", as I have been dealing with that in my own life. What an encouraging and uplifting read that was. Thank you.
My heart goes out to you in all that you have gone through in losing your children. Your faith, in spite of your trials, inspires me beyond words. Women like you make me want to be a better Christian. May God bless you in a big way.
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