Big Bumps in the Road

I have several friends who like riding Jeeps and other four-wheel drive vehicles off road.

Driving in the “back country” on rocks and gullies I find to be an acquired taste... And I have never acquired it!

One minute your stomach is on the ceiling of the Jeep while with the next twist and turn your guts are shoved below the floor mats. I have never appreciated this spinal cord fluxation experience.

But even if you drive only on paved roads, you are bound to hit some big bumps in the road. I know that when driving on long interstate highway trips, I am always amazed at how civil engineers have created the illusion that the earth is much smoother than it really is.

Nevertheless, you are bound to hit those big bumps and potholes sometimes on your land voyages. This is true with all facets of our lives.

The above really came home to me as I recently read a true story written by Nathaniel Lawrence, who is a young man who lives in Oregon. From a very early age, Nathaniel dreamed of being a medical doctor.

Yes, he was intrigued by the medical arts, and he saw this as a way of being a real service to society. But he also saw the prestige, financial, and other rewards associated with being a doctor.

Nathaniel won a scholarship to a good college, and he saw this as a stepping stone to medical school. But then Nathaniel had a very big bump in the road. He flunked a key course, and he went on to lose his scholarship.

Needless to say, Nathaniel was heartbroken and depressed. He experienced a very long, dark night of the soul. Nathaniel didn’t know what to do or who, or what, to turn to.

It was a verse in the Bible, which brought him back on course. That verse was James 4:8: “Come near to God, and He will come near to you.” He decided to “come near” to Spirit.

Nathaniel decided to strengthen his spiritual life. He became more active in a spiritual fellowship which meets during the week. He got more active in a spiritual community that meets on Sundays. He also started a routine of daily morning prayer and meditation.

That summer, he got a job at a camp which put him much closer to nature. During that summer, he really felt a connection with plants and animals. This led him to explore a career that would focus on the environment and ecological systems.

As they say, the rest is history. Nathaniel now feels on firm footing and moving in a direction that is really satisfying for him. Ironically, he would never have moved in this direction if it hadn’t been for that big bump in the road. For Nathaniel, there was a blessing in what appeared to be a very difficult situation, and in fact what appeared to be the worst tragedy in his life.

I can really relate to Nathaniel’s story. As an undergraduate, I was an English major. The plan was to go on to graduate school and eventually become a professor in English. 

However, I did not win a single scholarship, and going on to graduate school was not a real possibility. At the time, it felt like a major and devastating bump in the road. 

Instead, I started working as a reporter, and I was given an economic beat. It turned out that I really liked writing about business and economics. I decided to go for a master’s degree in economics, and I had the good fortune to be able to study under Dr. Robert Heilbroner, the author of a widely read book entitled The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers.

One thing led to another, and I decided to go for a doctorate in economics. Eventually, I wound up having the opportunity of serving as the United Way movement’s chief economist and head of research. It was a position where I felt I could do a great deal of social good.

But I never would have gone down this path if it had not been for a big bump in the road. In fact, I never would have wound up a minister if it were not for another major bump in the road. But that story is for another week.

Bumps in the road can really be painful and difficult. Going through long dark nights of the soul are not fun. But when we can put on our spiritual glasses, we will often see that there is a real blessing in what we are going through. 

The apostle James was so right. When we draw near to God, God draws near to us.

Many blessings,

Rev. Rick