Every Obstacle Has A Purpose! 5-17–26

Welcome to the word for the week. Some obstacles are necessary and they are for our good. Others should be avoided at all costs. We have a bridge where I grew up that goes from Duquesne to McKeesport. There is a super sharp curve coming from the Duquesne side and for years there were constant accidents. They put the things in the road that force you to slow down and the accident rate dropped drastically. There were plenty of times when they used traffic cones to slow down traffic during construction but they had the opposite acceptance from people. Instead of seeing them as a safety necessity people saw them as a hindrance to the flow of traffic. The point is some obstacles are good and some cause a lot of trouble. When you look at the obstacles in your life do you know the difference?

Some obstacles are needed to slow us down. They keep us from danger and they prevent us from things we will later regret. Some are appreciated in the moment and others are not understood until later on. This by itself is where a lot of frustration comes from. It is not about the obstacles or their purpose. It is about our own understanding. Too often, we only think in the moment. We do not think long term. We do not think about the consequences. We just think the way we think at that time. That is the part that is dangerous for you because everything has a consequence. Rather that is good or bad there will be something after the moment. When we do not consider the consequences or understand the why of things then there is a tendency to make poor choices. You find yourself doing what you think or feel instead of seeking God for what He says to do. Again, this is dangerous for you.

Sometimes your lack of money keeps you from things far more harmful than you may realize. Yes, you looked forward to that trip but the truth is you were never going to be able to see the danger waiting on your own. Yes, you wanted that car that you didn’t get until a major disruption happened and you were glad you did not have the car. Nothing just happens but it is hard to understand that in the moment. When you try to tell people that they are often too focused on what they want and they cannot hear you. Those cones in the road slow us down from danger and help protect the lives of others. That lock on a door stops unauthorized people from entering into something they may not be prepared for. Sometimes that circumstance is designed to make you rethink things and move with more caution. It never feels good but all things actually do work for our good. You have to trust the will of God.

Lastly, some obstacles exist as a final test. They exist to see if you will press on or give up. Every obstacle is not meant to stop you. Some are meant to test you. Will you pray more? Will you stand on the promise of God when something is blocking your pathway? Will you trust God when it does not make sense anymore? Will you be persistent until the door is open? Will you be like the woman with the unjust judge and keep showing up everyday until you get a breakthrough? Sometimes the obstacles are your final hurdles. They are that last jump you must make. They are that last stone you must push out of the way. How much do you want what God has for you? Are you willing to fight for it? Are you willing to not let go of the promise? Are you willing to hang in there until you see what God said? The last thing you must remember is that nothing is able to happen unless God allowed it. So if that obstacle is in front of you then only God knows why. The final question is will you seek Him for that answer?

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His grace,
Bishop Carlos J. Lennon