No matter who you are, how old you are, or what you do, at times you face roadblocks or obstacles. We all do. In the future we will all face more roadblocks and obstacles; it’s just a part of life.

I think of obstacles as small interruptions or interferences, perhaps like a pot hole in the road.  Roadblocks are something much bigger; the road itself is closed.  Both interrupt our momentum, but how we respond to them is very important.

Do you handle the roadblocks and obstacles of life differently than you handle the roadblocks and obstacles on the road?  Have you ever thought of how you respond when the road you want to travel is blocked?  The answer of course is simple; you take the detour until you can get back headed to where you want to go, right?

With an obstacle in the road, whether it is a pot hole, or a stalled vehicle, we simply maneuver around it and proceed on our merry way.  There are also times when all traffic just stops temporarily.  We have no options to go anywhere and so we’re stuck. It can be a real lesson in patience, perhaps.

At times in life, things may stop and we need to be patient.  Other times there are obstacles we need to go around.  Then there are times we face real roadblocks preventing us from moving forward in the direction we want to go.

When things in life come to a temporary halt, some people get very irritated and impatient.  They expend all their energy in frustration and disgust.  They act just like some drivers do when all the traffic stops; those people are easily identified by their car horns blaring.

In life, when faced with obstacles, some people get upset because they have to change course slightly.  The obstacle forced them out of their comfort zone because things are not moving ahead smoothly without any hitches. Some people make the slight adjustment necessary, while others waste time and energy wondering how the obstacle got there, who’s responsible to move it and why it is still there.

Then at other times in life, we all experience roadblocks.  We can no longer continue on the path we are on.  On the journey of enjoying life today and planning for the future, downsizing and layoffs have presented many people with a huge roadblock.  While there are plenty of other situations equally equated with a roadblock, today this is one of the most common.

Don’t You Think It’s Silly?

Driving on the road, when faced with a roadblock, wouldn’t you think it silly for someone to turn around and go home because the road they want to take is blocked? And isn’t almost unheard of for someone to just sit there in front of the roadblock in disbelief and despair?  Yet, when it comes to roadblocks in life, that’s exactly what some people do.

When I lost my job of nearly 17 years back in 2008, being unemployed was a major roadblock; that avenue for income was now closed.  What was I to do?  Clearly I needed to find a new road, a different avenue for income.

What I didn’t do was spend my time and energy wondering why it happened. I never do that while driving, so why do it on the road of life?  I chose to not be bitter or resentful, although that took a little bit of mental effort and shifting.  I also refused to attend pity parties with others in the same plight.

I have heard people over the years, who have lost their jobs, exclaim, “Now I can collect all that unemployment money I have been paying all these years.”  First of all, the employee doesn’t pay unemployment tax, the government makes the employer pay it.  And secondly, how can anyone get excited about receiving a very, very small check every week instead of finding a new job?

It Helps, But…

Yes, of course getting an unemployment check can help while searching for a new avenue for employment.  It helps; it helped me for a few weeks.  But to rely on it and hope it continues indefinitely is like keeping your car parked in front of a road block; it doesn’t solve the problem.

I am not being critical, nor am I unaware of current conditions. I know available jobs are not at a premium today.  But I also know, and am convinced, that regardless of the current economy, God is not out of business.

When you face a roadblock in your life, whatever it may be, waste no time and energy trying to figure out why it is happening to you.  Waste no energy being bitter and resentful.  Refuse to feel sorry for yourself.  These are all completely unproductive actions which do nothing to get you back on an open road.

Instead, admit and recognize it for what it is: it is a roadblock.  Every day pour your heart out to God, telling Him how you feel and asking Him for His help.  Then, take as much action as you possibly can, every day, keeping your eyes and ears open, expecting to find your new avenue.

Mike Verdicchio
2012

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