02/20/2023
As I was driving to a meeting this past Saturday, I felt like I was driving in a third-world country. Due to all the potholes, cars were slowing to a crawl and veering as much as possible to protect their front alignment, spinal health, and sanity. Have you found yourself commenting about a particular pothole’s size? Maybe you said it was more of a crater than a hole (I know I have). I’ve ridden on streets in Mozambique that weren’t as bad.
Indiana has a pothole problem.
A recent study from QuoteWizard, a site that sells insurance, looked at pothole-related internet searches and repair inquiries. It found that Indiana ranked second across the country for where the road craters are causing the most issues. And according to an IndyStar report, it would cost at least $732 million for our Indiana streets to be upgraded to fair condition from the current rating of poor. Nearly 14,000 pothole sightings have flooded Indianapolis Mayor Hogsett’s administration.
Now, before you think I’m just whining, let me point out several silver linings to these black holes and how they can help us grow (seriously).
1. Potholes make us better, more attentive, drivers. It’s hard to multitask behind the wheel (eat, talk on the phone, text, etc.) while also trying to focus on avoiding the jarring experience of hitting a pothole head on. And so it is in life. Numerous potential pitfalls, potholes, and detours mandate that we pay attention. Live in the moment. Jesus said, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day [or pothole] come upon you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34).
2. Slow down. If you can’t avoid a pothole, far less damage is done going over one at 10 mph rather than 50 mph. Sometimes you can’t steer away from problems in life. There are times when you have to stay in your lane, keep your hands steady, and prepare to hit that problem straight on. But if you slow down and take your time, you can get through it without leading to a complete life realignment. And even if some realignment is needed, give thanks, because it’s always good to get spiritually straight on a crooked path.
3. It’s always good to have another set of eyes. Laura has spared me many a jolt by calling out grievous potholes I failed to see. Traveling companions are like that—they help us see what we tend to overlook (or choose not to see). Jesus walked his roads with a band of brothers, and we should, too. We’re instructed to “bear one another's burdens,” (Galatians 6:2), and that includes helping each other avoid a pothole or two.
So, the next time you’re driving down one of our many crater-infested streets, give thanks that God’s Spirit is our Guide (John 16:13), even if we can’t avoid all the potholes.
