"This Road Has Potholes!!”

Around Omaha we hear a lot about potholes, especially in the spring. From what I see on a bike ride, apparently the heat has blistered a few streets and opened some bit potholes this summer.

But I want to speak about some other “potholes” in the road.

Life is a journey. There are hills and valleys, twists and curves and even a few potholes along the way. I’ve encountered a few recently myself. I’m sure you have too. The potholes can be pretty little, like a set back on a project, an unexpected change in schedule or a disagreement in a relationship. Or they can be big rim busting potholes like unemployment, having one’s car stolen or a medical diagnosis. Or they can be a variety of things in between.

What we know is that the people who find the most joy in life are the ones who can deal with the “potholes” in the journey. Temperament appears to predispose some people to see the dark side of situations and to incline toward pessimism. Certainly there are external circumstances and individuals over which one does not have control. But as humans, we are not helpless. We do have control over at least one thing.

Our ATTITUDE is within our control. Our attitude toward life is a choice. Our “self talk” to move us to place things in God’s hands, our self-conversation to “let it go to make room for a miracle” is one thing we can do/control. Negative self-talk, adopting a sense of helplessness practically guarantees a sorry outcome. Unless someone rescues us from ourselves we are likely to get swallowed up in the potholes along the journey.

Maybe you’ve heard about the jilted bride who placed an ad? "Hope Chest for Sale: brand new, half price, long story."

At quite the opposite side of “attitude” is the little boy playing right field for his Pee Wee League team. A latecomer leaned against the fence and asked, "What's the score?" When the boy answered that his team was trailing 8 to 0, the kindly fellow said, "Don't be too discouraged. Maybe your team will do better next time." The kid didn't even look up; he just said, "It's okay. We ain't been to bat yet!"

Now, don’t hear me wrong. I don’t want to say that we become naive or foolish. But, the potholes of life, as big as they might be, even if they are huge “sinkholes” in the journey, don’t have to be the end.

Believe it or not, life sometimes needs to work out the way love does. The twists and turns, the hills and valleys and even the potholes simply help us grow, learn to trust God, become more compassionate and even enjoy more fully the taste of victory and joy.

A couple of phrases of music have been rolling around in my head as some potholes loom in my journey. One goes, “...you make all things work together for my good...” The other is “...when the oceans rage, I don’t have to be afraid ...” Both are from the song” “Your Love Never Fails”. See the you-tube at

See you along the road...