A ride down a dirt road is inherently bumpy (at least, here on our island). Sometimes the ride may be smoother than others, but the very nature of a dirt road means that there will be jostling and jarring as the road surface changes with the condition of the underlying material. During the ride, as the imperfections of the driving surface are absorbed by the vehicle, vehicles will produce various noises and vibrations for the driver to hear, whether it be thumps and bumps or creaking and rattling. As unnerving or annoying some of those noises can be, the primary assumption is that the noises are simply indicative of the road, and not a result of some issue with the vehicle itself.
Since many of our dirt roads end at a paved road, ultimately our vehicles get the opportunity to ride on surfaces that are inherently smooth. After the bumping and creaking of dirt roads, our vehicles become much quieter when driving on a surface that doesn’t pose nearly the challenge to a vehicle’s suspension. Gone are the noises that were created by the underlying chaos, and instead everything seems to operate as it was designed and built to function.
Every once in a while, however, when you make the transition from dirt to pavement, some noises that you expected to dissipate stick around. At that point, you realize that there may be something actually wrong with the vehicle that needs attention. While riding down the dirt roads, the constant state of agitation from the riding surface covered up the fact that something was not right with the vehicle itself. The bumping may have been aided by a wheel out of alignment, or creaking may have been the result of a problem with the suspension. Only when the underlying conditions were improved did the true problem become evident.
Our lives can easily mirror this situation. We all go through periods of underlying turmoil and bumpiness, and during those times, we will naturally respond differently, both physically and emotionally. The stress of a tumultuous life will wear us down, creating fatigue, distracting us mentally, and causing our systems to compensate for the conditions in a variety of ways that can diminish our quality of life and contribute to an early end. Much like the bumping and creaking of a vehicle on a dirt road, we will hear or feel the symptoms from our bodies that there is a lack of peace in our lives, but the problem is that unless we get to a place where the underlying life conditions smooth out, we won’t know if the symptoms are a result of the circumstances, or if they are actually a sign that something has gone wrong within us.
We need peace in our lives, and while so many would settle for just a day or week of calm, what we really need is a foundation of peace that allows us to easily see when things aren’t operating the way that they should be. Frankly, I only know of one source of peace like that – Jesus. He proclaimed “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
My friends, if you are feeling today like your life has been one endless ride down a bumpy dirt road, I encourage you to spend some time with the Prince of Peace. You may find that there are some significant underlying issues that weren’t simply a function of a rough ride, but rather were actual issues with yourself that were affecting you all along. When you address those issues, you will finally be operating just as you were designed to be.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron