READING THE ROAD SIGNS, PART 6
CONSTRUCTION ZONE AHEAD
It's always a hassle. Orange cones. Heavy machinery.
No shoulder. Reduced speed. Flashing lights and flares.
Temporary lanes and turtles. Flag persons. Double fines,
with at least one patrol car hiding and watching. Nobody
likes construction zones.
But neither do we enjoy rough, worn out roads with
potholes. Nor do we enjoy highways or freeways with an
inadequate number of lanes. There are some things that
simply must be done, even though the doing is painful.
The same could be said about the construction of our
character. There are roads that need repaving. We need
ever-widening capacity for a growing number of
opportunities and demands. We need improvements. All of
us need improvements.
Sometimes, God grows us steadily and stealthily. We
simply keep living, and while we're at it, we grow and
change. More often, God has to put up signs to slow us
down and prepare us for bumpy transitions. We blow
through those signs and cruise through these
construction zones at our own peril. It's hard to slow
down and embrace seasons of reconstruction. It's also
necessary.
If there were such a thing as a stress-meter, the
gauge would really start rocking during these times of
change, transition and reconstruction. We're creatures
of habit (good and bad). When we're forced out of our
norms and rituals (even the unhealthy ones), something
in us comes undone. No longer in our grooves, frictions
create drag and fatigue. Relationships can get rattled.
Assumptions are thrown to the wind. There's a kind of
vulnerability that makes us uncomfortable and, in God's
hands, pliable.
To jump metaphors, my golf swing was a personal
invention. No coaching. No country club pro to help me
from the start. I rode my one-speed stingray to a
nine-hole municipal golf course with used clubs hanging
over my shoulder. So I learned my way, and then repeated
things my way over and over until I became a
slightly-better-than-mediocre golfer. Still, every
conversation with a real golfer made me aware of this
painful truth – if I wanted to really improve, I'd
need to be totally deconstructed and reconstructed.
Starting with my gnarly grip, I'd have to relearn
everything in the hands of a real pro. Only recently, in
my mid-forties (age, not score), I finally started with
the grip. Totally new. The results were immediate –
disastrous. Nothing felt comfortable. My scores got
worse and worse. That is, until they started to get
better again.
Right now, new opportunities and demands on my life
aren't allowing much time to improve at golf. But as for
more critical skills and more essential elements of my
character, I'm in a construction zone. Some of this I
like – the hope of increased capacity and the repaving
of rough surfaces. Other aspects are so hard. Nothing is
ever what it used to be. Few things are ever what I
thought they'd be.
Still, I have to believe that in God's hands these
lives of ours/His are only becoming more useful, more
refined, more fruitful.
Here's some advice for construction zones:
- Slow down. Rushing and pretending that nothing has
changed is normal but not helpful.
- Bring a ride-along. Include a mentor. Let at least
one other person know about the process you're going
through. Sometimes we need help interpreting road
signs. Sometimes we need accountability to stay on
the road. Always, we need friends.
- Pray more. Read the Bible often. The Old
Testament, with all of its harsh realities, is
actually brimming with stories of real-life
transformation. But always go to the New Testament
for the reminder that nothing can separate you from
God's love.
- Stay in church. The best churches will reinforce
God's movements toward change, while giving a
context of grace and acceptance.
- Be extra kind and gentle to people around you.
Because of the friction involved in your change
process, you might be harder to live with than
usual. A little extra kindness might cushion things.
Shared with love,
Keith Potter
P.S. On a broader note, a year ago our church
embraced a five-year vision that calls for
Transformation, Expansion and Renovation. In the next
few months, you'll be hearing more specific plans for
living into those visions. Please keep this church
family in your prayers. These are worthy hopes born out
of the prayers of thoughtful people. While the road of
change isn't likely to be very bumpy, here it is. The
time is now.
P.P.S. So many generosities and encouragements
have come to our family since the day Luke was born.
Thank you and God bless you for your kindness. |
