On the way to see the wizard, Dorothy, Toto and the cast of misfits she picked up on the way to Oz didn’t always have a smooth journey. The scarecrow, tinman and lion all had major flaws, but the company they provided on the yellow brick road was worth the risk. Alone, Dorothy would have not been able to overcome the rocky road that the wicked witch brought forth. Together, working as a team this motley crew, defeated the enemy, setting the witches servants free.
In life, I wish you could travel from point A to point B without any obstacles. However, each day has its own set of detours, pot holes and road blocks. One day you have a teaching job, the next day you don’t. Others have seen marriage vanish before their eyes. Meanwhile, accidents, tragedy and illness ends the life of some way too soon. Essentially, life is a rocky road with twists and turns that no one other than God can foresee.
Subsequently, the Bible warns its readers of the nightmares that greet individuals, James 1:2-4. Although some suffer more than others, trials come in various shape and sizes. Perhaps, as unfortunate events enter one’s life, faith and trust increases, forcing believers to climb, crawl or walk along a narrowing path, Matthew 7:14. Looking back over the past 5 years, I thank God for the rocky road that I’ve endured. As a disciple once said, “sometimes you have to go through fire to be refined for future endeavors,” 1 Peter 1:6-7. May the rocky roads that you’ve encountered prepare you for future blessings in God’s time, Ecclesiastes 3:11
by Jay Mankus
