Pothole In The Railroad Tracks

The other day my mom and I were driving the down the road. Just as I crossed a railroad track I yelled "pothole in the railroad tracks!" I tried to slow down, but it was too late. As I crossed the tracks I braced myself for the pothole.

To my surprise there was not a pothole in the tracks. As I braced for the pothole, my van just bumped across the, known to everyone in the area as horrible, train tracks.

I usually slow down for these tracks because they are so bumpy. I don't remember a time in my life that they were not terrible. And when I say "terrible" I mean, its not uncommon to see car parts scattered on the tracks. These tracks are bad. So bad that they are ingrained in my memory. Like the day Alisha was born, or the Christmas that I got a Nintendo, and....yep.....the train tracks on Belsay Road.

This trip, however, I thought that I had prepared for the worst. I had slowed down as usual, but didn't remember about the pothole until I crossed the tracks. As I crossed I braced myself. I knew that I was not going slow enough to avoid car parts falling to the ground, as I slammed the pothole.

To my surprise the pothole was gone. It had been fixed. I couldn't believe it because the pothole was there a week prior...I remembered it quite well.

For the first time...ever....the railroad tracks didn't seem that bad. Remember their poor quality had been ingrained in my memory....ranked right up there with.....you know.....Alisha's birth and Christmas.......(un-bunch the britches, I'm being dramatic).

The railroad tracks didn't seem as bad as usual because I had expected worse.....I had expected car parts flying....I had expected tires rolling......

Currently, I feel like I'm crossing terrible train tracks. I keep bracing myself for the worst. I'm actually not sure whether or not I have even began to cross the tracks. I'm ready for the tracks because I'm used to them. I have crossed them before. I am used to allowing God to lead my life. Those specific situations are also ingrained in my memory.

There have been many times in my life that I have followed God and His will for my life. There have been times that the outcome was clear and following Him was easy, and then there have been times that His will didn't make sense.

Although I have crossed these tracks before, allowing God to lead my life, I'm more nervous than ever. I keep telling myself that I don't have to take this path...I don't have to choose to cross the tracks......

However, I then feel God telling me that this is the path He has laid for me and for my family. He reminds me that the tracks may be rough, but that He has a plan and a purpose.

As Brad and I choose to follow God's will, we also choose to cross the tracks. Although it seems like the path may be rough, we pray that it will not be as expected. We pray that in the end the tracks were not as bad as they once appeared. We also look forward to the other side of the track.... of course the less bumpy pavement, but more importantly, knowing that we followed Him. The greatest reward in choosing the bumpy road is knowing that God is in control and will lead us through the entire path.....start to finish.

So we brace ourselves, choose to follow Him, and pray for strength. The path seems rough and bumpy, but we serve an Almighty God!!

Well, I just covered the railroad tracks...... Let's just pray that God will repair the pothole in the middle......

All Things Are Possible,

Stephanie