As I was driving back to Alabama, I passed the Forest Mills Church of Christ, just outside of McMinnville, TN. Normally I don’t pay much attention to church signs, but their sign caught my attention. It simply said “All Paths Have Puddles”. I immediately had an image in my mind of a little boy happily playing in a huge puddle, getting completely covered from head to toe with mud. Isn’t it odd, how as children, a puddle was a great source of pleasure? Jumping and splashing and generally making a big mess was the highlight of a summer shower.
Of course, the sign was not speaking about the literal puddles in the backyard but the figurative puddles in our lives. Those puddles can be anything that is between us and our ultimate destination—friends, careers, and even family. How do we choose to deal with the puddles? Do we count ourselves fortunate for our puddles, or do we complain about them and try to go around them? Once again, I think we can learn from children in this situation. Instead of being concerned about the level of cleanliness of their clothing, they enjoy the feel of mud between their toes and the satisfaction of a great big splash that sends water everywhere. In a sense, they are able to find the good in the situation at hand.
As adults, we have a tendency to avoid the puddles, especially the really messy ones. We see the bad things that could happen if we were to walk through the puddle, and we allow the fear of the possible to hinder us. What are we afraid of? Rejection by our friends, co-workers, or family? Where is our faith that God will take care of us? When we approach puddles in our lives, God is like the gentleman of old who would lay his coat over the puddle for a lady. He is there to help, if we let Him.
So, the next time you happen upon a puddle, just jump on in—but don’t send me your cleaning bill!
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