The Smooth Road

We have all heard the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” many times. But have you every heard “the road looks much smoother on the other side?” I am sure I spoke those words a few times growing up, but my most memorable moment involving those words involves a long ago trip to visit my family. My husband (he was my fiancé at the time) and I were on the way to visit my mom and grandparents on the family farm in southwest Georgia. The farm had been in the family since the mid 1800’s and it was where I spent most of my childhood. Farms in southwest Georgia were most often found on good ole’ dirt roads. Dirt roads in my part of the state were a mixture of red Georgia clay and sand. Not a good mixture when heavy rains came down.

After a heavy rain, I never wanted to be one of the first drivers to head out on that dirt road. Until enough others had driven down the road, you were most likely to slip, slide, spin tires, and even end up in the ditch. But once enough cars (or more likely, trucks) ventured out, deep ruts began to appear. But only one set, right down the middle of the road. Those ruts created a safe path to the highway. You just hoped the lightly traveled road was empty of any cars coming towards you when heading out. On this spring visit to the farm, the rains had occurred early that morning, but the sun was out at last. Just after we topped the first hill just after leaving the highway we passed the dairy farm and reached a section of road that was a bit wider and contained more sand than most of the road. My fiancé looked at that nicely packed sand and compared it to the deep muddy ruts that were quickly turning his white truck brown and asked me this question: “Wouldn’t it be better to drive over on the smooth part of the road?” I told him no, the ruts were the way to go. But he insisted he would be better off on the smooth side. So over to one side he went and quickly got stuck!

Hmmm – how many times in life have we each said, “I am stuck in a rut” and wanted a change? We tend to look at being in a rut as a bad thing, just as my husband did that long ago day. We let that feeling of envy take over. We see others traveling a smoother journey. We want what they have. We think our “ruts” are boring. Our “ruts” aren’t going anywhere. Why are we the ones traveling on the “ruts?” I could go on and on, but you get the idea now right?

I have begun to look at it very differently in recent months though. I can look back now at the times I was tired of my “ruts” and wanted something new and exciting. Too many times I made hasty decisions without taking the time consider all my options. Some of those moves make me sad when I remember them. However, I don’t like using the word “regret” to describe them. You see, even though they were not the best decisions, the changes they made in my journey are all part of my story. And my story is one that I hope points to Jesus. Without the experiences I went through both on and off the rutted path, I would not be who I am today. Not that I am perfect by any means! But I am who God created me to be; HIS child that is striving daily to live the life HE created me to live.

I can now see HIS guidance in my life when I was traveling in the ruts. The focus it takes to keep your tires in those muddy ruts reminds me of the focus it takes to follow Jesus. If I took my eyes of those muddy ruts, I was likely to slip, slide, spin the tires, and end up in the ditch. If I take my eyes off Jesus, I slip, slide, spin MY wheels, and end up in the wrong place. Just as those ruts on the dirt road were the safest place to drive, living life with Jesus as my guide will keep me on my safest journey.. And just as my journey on those muddy ruts helped me reach my destination; my journey through life will one day end at the most glorious destination – eternity with Jesus! What a joy filled thought! I am so thankful that even when I ventured off into the smooth look road, HE guided me back into his safe and secure ruts.

As for that white truck covered in mud at the beginning of this story – fortunately relatives lived on that same muddy road. I was able to get to the dairy owner’s house and call (no cell phones yet in 1982) for help. My cousin drove their family tractor down and pulled us out of the sandy muck. I did my very best not to laugh or tell my fiancé “I told you so.” Let’s just say he learned that day this country girl knew what she was talking about! After all, I had more experience driving on that particular dirt road than he did.

(Most of that country road is now covered with asphalt, but a one mile stretch through the family farm is still good ole’ dirt. The cousin in the story now has a son living on our old family farm and he continues to rescue drivers from the muddy ditch.)

Psalm 37:34a MSG