I planned to go to 4 different areas of Ethiopia to visit 4 different Presbyterian Synods. I mad it to the first two and then was not sure what would happen. I wanted to go to Dembi Dollo but was not sure I would be able to make the trip since the road was closed due to unrest in the area. The road opened and away I went. About half way there we started encountering huge rocks, whole tress, tree stumps and branches on the road. At each place small path had been cleared for traffic to to go through but everything else was still on the road. At places we had to weave our way through these road blocks. It bothered me that the roads were not completely cleared as it was vary dangerous driving through all this, especially after it got dark. I was worried about having an accident and then we saw an accident where a truck hit one of these partially cleared road blocks, flipped and the driver was killed. So, why are the road blocks not completely cleared? Because they man y want to put the block up again and why keep moving all the rocks!!
I have thought of this from several different angles in my Christian life. The main one is this. How many road blocks do I put up? Television, sports, food, friends, education etc.? How many do I only partially clear and try to squeeze through? I argue that I have to eat, or that sports is just fun, friends are important......and on and on. Do I need to do better at clearing the road blocks in my life? These road blocks can keep me from deepening my relationship with God.
Then there is the thought, do the road blocks in my life have an affect on others in my life? Are they a spiritual danger to them? By my willingness to weave through these blocks without clearing them am I showing others that it is not important to have a clear path to God?
Then I also looked at it this way. God clears a path for us through all the "stuff" in out lives if we but ask Him to and trust in Him.As we drove through those barely cleared paths in the stones etc, I thought how narrow is the path to God and how He will protect us on that path if we just ask Him. There are many twists and turns on the path and sometimes we come to a place where the way is blocked and we need to examine our lives and ask God to help us clear a path again. Ask for forgiveness, wisdom and grace and eyes to see the path ahead.
I arrived at my destination safely but wondering if I would be able to leave on my scheduled day. Another road block? My own desire to stick to my schedule and not be open to God's? I was delayed a day because the roads were blocked again and it did change my whole schedule and kept me from going to another town. God's hand was in this because that other town started having clashes between ethnic groups and it was better for me not to be there.
My final thought from this trip is this. The driver of the vehicle was driving very fast and as it started to get dark he would not turn the lights on. I was afraid he would not see a road block, or the many cows and people on the road. Do I need to slow down and take my time and let God be in control? YES!! He did not turn the lights on until completely dark. Why? I really don't know but I was thinking how much easier and safer it would be with the headlights on. The same as how much clearer we see if let Jesus be the light that leads the way. Psalm 119: 105 says " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path" The interesting thing here is that I wrote this during church ( don't judge - Church was in a language I did not understand and this was on my heart) and there was a banner hanging at the front with that Psalm on it but I did not see it until I was done writing this in my notebook.
There is also a song that goes " God will make a way, where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see...."
I am sorry the pictures are not clearer but I had to take them as we were driving - not safe to get out to take pictures of this stuff! And Yes, that is a guard rail that was twisted across the road.
