Prep

Prepare the way

We’re getting estimates for repaving our driveway. A man came out this morning and explained what would need to be done.

The potholes need filling in. The moss needs scraping off. Then they can lay down a new layer of tarmac. The drive opening would be edged with kerbing because of the frequent pressure of a tractor entering and exiting the field there. For an extra cost, we can kerb the edges the length of the drive, which will preserve the integrity of the edges. Otherwise, as oil and coal trucks trundle up the drive and overspill onto the verge, the tarmac will begin to crumble.  The edges are vulnerable to cracking up.

Prepare the way of the Lord. What potholes are in my life today that need filling in? Which vulnerable points are beginning to crumble? Where has moss taken root in my life, obscuring the way and turning it into a slippery slide? 

Time to evaluate.

Get Ready

Our driveway is beginning to break up. It’s amazing how small a space a seed needs in order to root and grow a weed. The drive is riddled with grass and dandelions and other undesirables. Must get that weed killer out again, though it takes a lot of effort to spread it down the length of our drive.

Then there are the places where tree roots are pushing up from beneath, cracking and buckling the asphalt into small hills. And there’s one sinister pothole halfway down the drive, where the rocks seem to be imploding, the asphalt disappearing. Maybe it’s just the result of over thirty years of regular use by cars, motorbikes, and feet, and the occasional oil tanker or coal lorry.

Prepare the way for the Lord. Get ready. Gosh, if I thought Jesus were coming up the driveway, I’d be out there with the weed killer like a shot. I’d be filling in the holes myself if I could! I might be getting in a tree surgeon to remove the offending trees and get rid of the troublesome roots. I might even be calling in contractors to lay another layer of asphalt – whatever the cost.

I’m afraid there’s a lot of weeds and potholes in my life, and sometimes I fear that I make arrogant assumptions that Jesus doesn’t mind stepping over them. They’re not really so big, are they?

Hmm. I think they are. I think I need to call in the expert, the Holy Spirit, to prick out the weeds, level the buckled ground, fill in the potholes, and make the way to my heart straight for the King to come in on.

Unrolling a red carpet over the top of a mess might only serve to trip Him up. Besides, He’s not the sort of king who comes in on a red carpet, is he? He went into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a beautiful horse.