Confession 18: Caution: Road Construction Ahead

Kansas City is one of the worst cities I have ever been in when it comes to road construction. In the three years I've been commuting, several major arteries through the city have been closed off due to road construction with nothing new opened up to relieve excess traffic. Detours are complicated and poorly labeled and, most frustrating of all, no new progress seems to be made. For instance, construction has been underway for at least fifteen years in the so-called "Grandview Triangle" of Kansas City where at least three major highways intersect. In that fifteen or so years, the highway department has worked continuously to build the exact same road structure that was present before, alleviating no traffic problems for the thousands of commuters who go in and out of the city each day. I realize that I know nothing about the intricacies of road construction and am not an expert by any means. But seriously, building the exact same thing? What's the point? It's not that I'm against road construction, per se, I just want to see some progress. I want someone who knows something about it to tell me what the point is, what good is going to come from it, how the inconvenience and extra work is going to be worth it in the end. I don't think that's asking too much.

As a Christian, I often feel like my life is one big road construction area. God has cut off major arteries, sent me on complicated detours, surprised me with unexpected Road Closed signs, and has been working on the same stretch of road for a number of years with no sign of an end in sight. However, I've learned over the years that one thing I can always count on is that there is a point to all of the construction. Although I might not see it right away, I know God has a plan of action, and that the work in progress is really a work toward progress. God is not going to spend fifteen, twenty, thirty or even fifty years re-building the same thing. God is always working on rebuilding and renovating for something better. The past five years have been an example of this for me.

I quit a teaching position five years ago with the intent of being hired on at a high school in Columbia, Missouri. The high school had no openings in their English department, and I instead found myself packing my bags, belongings and cats and moving to the Chicago-land to attend seminary and earn a Masters degree in Christian Education. Seminary was a great experience. I learned a lot, grew a lot, made wonderful new friends, and met the love of my life. I felt myself called into doing urban youth outreach, and have spent the past three years engaged in that endeavor. However, this Spring my husband and I found ourselves in front of another Road Closed sign as he was appointed to a new charge in Southwest Missouri. Caution: Major Detour Ahead. Initially, I had no idea what I was going to do in this area, but I trusted that God would open up another route for me to take, and sure enough, he did just that. After a five year hiatus, I am going back into the classroom to take up teaching once more. I will be teaching sophomore and junior English at Monett High School in Monett, Missouri. Although somewhat intimidated about going back into the classroom after a five year break, I think it will be a good experience. And although the past five years were somewhat of a professional detour for me, I learned a lot from all of the experience and will be a better classroom teacher because of them. The road is now opened, resurfaced and expanded, and I can't wait to get driving!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara