Narrow Roads

Have you driven through North Texas recently? If you have, you know that every single highway we have up here is under construction! It is nuts! I spend a lot of time in my truck, so this construction is getting me a little edgy. I try and spend most of my drives with the radio off and in conversation with the Lord. The stuff He tells me when I am stuck in traffic is really cool! That's why today, I'm taking a break from Uganda blogs to share a cool analogy I got from highway driving with my Dad this week.

So, on Tuesday, I was driving through construction like always; however, I was especially stressed out then because they had once again changed which exit went where. As I was white-knuckling the steering wheel, the highway narrowed to one lane, with no shoulders and concrete barriers on either side. If I got lazy in my driving or shifted slightly to the left or to the right I would hit the walls. It lasted for about a half mile, and when it opened back up to a two lane highway, the Lord reminded me of Matthew 7:14.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Just like on the road, in my life, if I get off track just a little bit it has huge consequences. Sometimes I am tempted to get lazy in my walk with the Lord and I take a break from being daily in the Word. Other times, I am tempted to believe the lies that if I just do some small sin or tell some little lie that it wont affect anything too much. It's not true, for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life. I have to stay on the straight and narrow path, not veering to the right or to the left, but walking where the Lord has made a way for me to go.

Also like in driving, when you go off road in your life and you get wrecked up, or things seem to be falling to pieces, or you just feel yourself getting farther away from the Lord, the damage isn't necessarily permanent. If I wreck my truck, I have to take it in to the repair shop to get it fixed. When I wreck my life, I have to go to the Lord for healing and direction. He is the only worker skilled enough to fix the messes we make in our lives.

So, when your life starts looking like the one lane highway with no shoulders and concrete barriers on either side, remember to stay focused on the Lord to guide you through it. Never take your eyes off of Him and make sure not to drift to the right or the left. And remember, the construction doesn't go on forever, in another half a mile you'll be out of it again, and probably a more skilled driver to boot!

In dependence, or independence?

First off, I'm sorry I haven't written anything on here in so long! Life has been getting too fast for me lately. I will try and be more disciplined in getting the rest of these posts up!

As I was looking for inspiration for today's blog, I was reading my prayer journal from Day 4 and 5 of the trip. My question that I was pondering those days was, "God, what am I learning about you today?" Then, I stumbled upon a prayer from later that day:

"Keep us in situations where we have to rely on You, so we can learn your character and see Your power."

All throughout my life, I have been raised to be independent. I have been taught to take care of myself, by myself. I think this is an American thing; we want to be self sufficient, independent. "I don't need anyone to take care of me." I proclaim reliance on God, but I have been guilty of living an independent life.

The people of Uganda showed me how to live in dependence on God, instead of independent of Him. God was huge to them there, because they needed Him to be. They trusted Him for everything, and He showed up because of it.

Someone said something to me a few months ago that really stuck with me, and it was basically this: If I trust in myself, then I am limited to Jenn sized solutions and outcomes; however, if I trust in God, I am unlimited! So, I just want to leave you with this question: Do you live in dependence of God, or independently of Him? How big is your God? How big do you let Him be? If you haven't seen God show up lately, maybe it is because You haven't asked him to. Ask Him.