At the entrance to my subdivision there is road construction. I can only exit and enter by going one way while they upgrade the infrastructure, water, electric, and sewer that runs along the road, or under it. Then, they will put down a new road, with new lane stripes and new signs. They say it will take 6 months to complete. It has already been two and a half.
If that wasn’t enough to endure, they have torn up a major highway interchange just blocks from the road I mentioned above. It is reported to take two years to finish. The officials say, “Go slow. Proceed with caution. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end.”
As I have shared in previous posts, I married a Filipino woman in 2019. Soon after the wedding, we worked with an immigration attorney to get the process started to bring my wife to America. I lived in the Philippines for several months until I needed an eye procedure. We discussed the situation and felt it was best if I came back to America to have it done here. Thinking her immigration process wouldn’t take that long and she would follow me here shortly. It seemed as if they had missed placed her file and then shortly after they started working on her case, Covid hit.
At the time of this writing, my wife is still not here with me. There have been lots of conversations with God about the process and questions of, “Why is it taking so long?” Walking with God in life is definitely a journey. As we are now getting toward the end of the immigration process I can look back and see with greater understanding. I can see how God has updated power lines in our lives making sure that in the future we look to him for uninterrupted power to live by. He has put in a new sewer system to remove the waste and potentially toxic aspects of our personalities away safely and quickly. My wife compares my temper to passing gas. She says, “It stinks at first, but it doesn’t last long.” She has learned to let me vent and then we can return to our regularly scheduled life already in progress.
If God didn’t take the time to pour new pavement in our lives we would be traveling with him on dirt, and when the storms come get bogged down in mud. Yuk! If he only put down stones travel would be easier but it would be a bumpy and rough ride. Not enjoyable at all. But God has used the time, while waiting for her immigration to be completed, to put down nice smooth pavement. When the final touches are completed my wife and I will be able to come and go quickly in any direction with ease. We will be able to see the lanes we should stay in so we avoid head on collisions and harm.
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NKJV)
Yes, walking with God is difficult at times, and it is hard to see what He is doing, because some improvements are below the surface. At times it’s hard to understand why it is taking so long, but He would say, “Go slow. Proceed with caution. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end.”
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