The Work We Do

In Spring Hill, TN Highway 247 is better known aa Duplex Road. For decades it was a sleepy little crossover road to take one from US431 to US31, about 5 miles. That was when a little over 500 people lived in Spring Hill. Today it is the major feed for over 40,000 residents in our boom town. A road designed to handle a few country road drivers, pickups, and tractors wasn’t made for the projected 17,000+ vehicles per day that are coming. So for about 24 months, we have a mess on our hands. Rerouted roads, detours, larger than expected potholes from massive land movers and road construction vehicles, delays, deconstruction and reconstruction, lanes down to one with long waits and a lead vehicle. They say in either 7 months, 11 months, or 15 months it will all be done. Even now you can see where they’ve made progress and how nice it is going to be. Five years from now it’ll be a distant memory, thousands of people that enjoy the convenience of the new road will have never even known the old one. They will benefit from a time of challenge they never experienced.  

Ministry is like that in some ways. It’s reconstruction. There are delays and detours and at times it looks like no progress at all is being made. Some days it feels like the work will never be done. There are potholes and obstacles, and sometimes the lead vehicle doesn’t seem to want to move fast enough to make any progress. 

But don’t quit. In a few short years it’ll all be a distant memory and so many people will have benefited from your Work. Their way will be easier for your patience. Their life will be better for the example you lived. 

NOTE: I got to thinking about this. Dad went in the hospital 9 years ago this week. He had preached for over 50 years. I’ve had more people quote dad to me since he died than the whole time he was alive. What I want to say is that while you may never see the results of the road completed, long after you are gone the good influence of your following Jesus and teaching His words, the way you say things and do things, the road you build, will be remembered and bear fruit. Don’t quit.