It’s that time of year again—road construction, orange cones, flashing signs, and that familiar flagman holding the “SLOW” sign like he means it.
Detour ahead.
Single lane.
Expect delays.
We’ve all been there. Groaning at the inconvenience. Wondering why they couldn’t just fix this in another life time.
Sometimes, detours work out: we find a smoother route, a hidden gem, a quicker path.
But on the road of following Jesus, detours seldom apply if ever.
There’s only one way forward and it’s right through the construction. It’s clear, I’m not in charge.
I have often tried to create a bypass.
Run the route in my own cleverness.
Push through without slowing down, without listening.
But eventually the bumps and barricades catch up.
Because after decades of bumps and turns this construction zone is teaching me:
It’s not really about making the world behave better.
It’s about me—becoming softer, more attentive, more surrendered.
It’s become about learning to listen:
To the Spirit’s quiet voice.
To the lessons hidden in the slowdown.
To the Presence who travels every dusty, bumpy mile with me.
And here’s the thing I am slowing getting through my skull:
I don’t have to swerve and bump and dust my way through it alone.
“He is with you.”
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
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Think About:
What “construction zone” are you bumping through right now?
And what might happen if, instead of resisting, you slowed down and listened?