faith unfaded

The interstate was a mess.

Lanes narrowed. Orange barrels lined the road. Pavement ended abruptly and began again. Traffic slowed to a crawl, and every few feet there were potholes screaming for repair.

As I drove toward Nashville yesterday, I found myself thinking how much I hate concrete barriers on interstates. Sure, it was making way for more lanes and it would eventually be worth it, but right now it felt like I was trapped in a pinball machine with whirring lights and flippers.

The finished interstate will undoubtedly move traffic more efficiently and serve more people. But before that can happen, drivers have to endure barricades, narrow lanes, and rough pavement.

Praying while sandwiched between a semi and 4,000 lbs. of concrete, I blurted, “I’d rather deal with the old road than this!”

Most people would, I heard in my heart.

The Lord is all about those teachable moments, and I knew instantly we weren’t talking about the road anymore.

Just like an interstate has temporary inconveniences as it makes way for expansion, we encounter obstacles as well when the Lord is growing our faith and our calling.

We ask for growth. We pray for new opportunities. We plead for change.

Then the construction begins.

Things become uncomfortable. Familiar roads disappear. Traffic slows. Life feels uncertain. We encounter detours, delays, and frustration.

We often decide we would rather keep the old road. It’s familiar. It’s easy.

But old roads eventually stop serving their purpose.

Expansion requires disruption.

Growth often looks messy before it looks beautiful.

The workers on the interstate know something drivers often forget: they aren’t building for today’s convenience. They’re building for tomorrow’s traffic.

God often works the same way.

When life feels narrowed, rough, or under construction, perhaps the question isn’t, “Why is this happening?”

Perhaps it’s, “What is God preparing this road for?”

Because sometimes the very thing that feels like an obstacle is actually just a groundbreaking.