Published: July 19, 2007 10:43 am         

Church can help cope with life's speed bumps

Each night my wife and I walk our dogs up the alley behind our house. Although it is typically nighttime when we go, we have no trouble finding our way along the darkened roadway. That is until I hit the speed-bump. It happens every time I make this trek in the dark, and even sometimes in the day.

I know the bump is coming, but I still end up scuffing my foot on the slight rise. Every time it happens, my wife looks at me and says, "Speed-bump. Better slow down." I tell her that if I slow down any more I'll be going backwards.

Life has its own brand of speed-bumps. We normally come across them when we are strolling right along with not a care in the world. We can have everything going our way and coming up roses when we hit a bump in the road that slows us down.

It may be the loss of a job, a loved one, or having a fight with a friend. It might be failing a course in college, losing your birth certificate right before the cruise, or a dropped transmission on the way to the airport.

These are the "speed-bumps of life." Little reminders that we are not fully in control of what happens to us. There are things that cause us to come to a complete stop and re-evaluate our purpose and direction in life.

When that happens, church and church family is a great aide in coping with such setbacks in life. Christian friends who help put things in perspective and encourage us to keep moving forward with life are priceless. A good church family can help all of us through the hard times of life.

As for the speed-bumps on my alley, one might be interested to know that I was the one who requested them at a city council meeting a couple of years ago. And even though cars don't slow down because of them, I sure do.

David Sandvick is the pastor of First English Baptist Church in Frostburg.