Louisiana Causeway

As we travel across America in our motorhome we often hear questions about how we manage to be in such a tight place with five boys or how do we manage to keep our sanity and patience with all these people in such a small space. Of course we have our pat answers like “We lost our sanity long ago, otherwise we never would have tried such a trip!” Haha I know.

Still as I have lots of time to ponder and think as I drive the highways and byways of our vast nation, I have often thought of how these questions reflect a little into the hearts of modern Americans and more importantly modern Christians.

Before I go there let me say that living in a 350 square foot home with seven people and pets DOES stretch our patience to the limits.

And our peace of mind, our sanity, our faith, our comfort zone and just about everything else. I am not complaining because I would not trade the experiences, the memories and the bonding that we share for anything. Still these things come with a price.

Yet God’s hand is so evident in this trip. Time and time again He has shown us this through countless signs (spiritual signs that is, not road signs!). He is working in our lives in such a tangible way through the difficulties as well. He is revealing to us areas that He really wants to work on in our hearts. You see He is the potter and we are the clay, but often times the clay needs some heat to get the impurities out and some pressure to form it into something beautiful. Howard our RV has been like a giant mobile potter’s wheel for most of our family. God is using the insanity to bring clarity, the frustrations to bring peace and the chaos to bring order into our family and into our souls!

As I drive I think about our natural inclination to create comfortable situations in our lives, rather than to embrace the situations God often calls into that are uncomfortable. We often flee from adversity rather that walk through it and see how God brings us out of it on the other end. As Jonah found out, you can’t flee from the hand and designs of God though. He has a purpose He is going to work out in your life and that means He is going to create some uncomfortable situations and times to bring your focus into the areas He is trying to form His purpose in you. For our family that has been living and working together in sometimes small spaces, learning to function as a cohesive unit rather than seven ships passing in the night. For you and your household the potter’s wheel may be quite different.

For all of us though, in order to travel the road less traveled, we have to go contrary to our nature and we have to embrace the struggles, the uncomfortable situations, yes even embrace a certain amount of suffering, taking up our cross as His word says. This is how I cope with the lack of quiet and calm in my “house.” I realize it is yet another opportunity for Christ to form His nature in me!