Bumps In the Road

This is the time of year you see the caution tape.
It is not because of a crime scene.
It is because people get their driveway coated.
The black, sticky tar cannot be walked on or driven on for a few days.

Spring and fall seem to be the time to get your driveway coated.
In our area, with our snowfalls each winter, the snow plows leave white marks on the surface.
No matter the season, the coating needs to be done so the driveway stays in good condition.
The smell of tar lingers in the air.

This time of year the streets are resurfaced as well.
Usually the streets are repaired in the spring after the winter freezing and thawing is over.
However, sometimes repairs must be made as fall approaches.
Often, these repairs come in the form of patching.

I have seen maintenance vehicles put the orange cones on the road to work on a particular spot.
Sections of the road will be cut in order to be repaired.
Stones are put down and then pressed firmly into position.
This type of repair has been done in our neighborhood cul-de-sac.

I wanted to research what type of repair our township made on the road.
The surface did not look like all of our driveways.
I was surprised when I walked the morning after they had finished the repairs.
The surface was hard to walk on.

Even though the stones were pressed down, the surface of the cul-de-sac is a bit higher.
I felt the difference on the sole of my sneakers as I walked.
If my eyes were closed, I could have still discerned the slight change in height.
Even the sound of my shoe against the road was different.

An oil & stone driveway, sometimes known as tar and chip, will offer the look of a gravel driveway, but will still provide a strong and durable surface.  We suggest two coats of oil and stone on new driveway surfaces. The driveway base is prepared, and a coat of oil  is applied with a special sprayer attached to the oil truck.  A layer of gravel is then distributed over the treated surface and is then compacted with a roller. This process is generally repeated once more, to provide two coats of oil & stone.  Once the oil has cooled, it will harden and provide a stable surface for the gravel.  The end result will look like a natural gravel surface. There will be constant loose stone, however, maintenance will be minimal depending upon the stone type.  Stone comes in a variety of sizes and colors and provides and excellent alternative to asphalt. An asphalt driveway and an oil & stone driveway are actually made from similar materials. The main difference between the two is how they are installed and what the finished surface will look like.  An asphalt driveway will result in a hard, blacktop surface suitable for driveway basketball games, bike riding, and roller-skating.  The surface will be durable, long lasting, and require little maintenance.  An oil & stone driveway will result in a loose gravel surface suitable for driveway or parking areas.  The surface will be rough, and may require periodic maintenance as the stone moves. (Google Q & A about types of paving)

As I made my way around the neighborhood, I turned on to the cul-de-sac.
I did not enjoy walking on that surface the first morning.
My sneaker did not slide as easily as it does on the asphalt surface.
I thought of a sign I occasionally see on the road, Caution: Loose Gravel.

Now I understood what the sign meant.
It was a different surface.
It was not as smooth.
It could be a bit dangerous if I was not careful.

There is one spot in particular.
Every single morning my sneaker catches on this one spot.
I know approximately where it is.
My footsteps sounds a certain way until suddenly my footsteps hiccup on this one spot.

This happens every morning.
Without stopping, so as to slow my pace, I tried to see what was causing the problem.
I could not tell what my sneaker was catching on.
Not until one morning.

I saw it.
A small bump in the road.
A small area that the roller did not press down as much as the rest of the street.
An almost unseen bump that catches me off guard.

When windows are opened, I imagine my neighbors saying, There she is, as my sneaker hiccups.
I purposed that I would not allow my sneaker to catch on the almost unseen bump.
It was futile.
The bump is there, it is just a bit higher than the rest of the street, and it gets me every time.

This side of heaven, there will be bumps in the road.
The bumps are often unseen until we come upon them.
They cause us to lose our footing, if only slightly.
They can cause us to stumble and fall.

We go about our days with footsteps that are often on autopilot.
We walk places we have walked before.
We expect them to be a certain way.
Then out of nowhere, a bump catches us and causes us to slip.

A hiccup.
A slip.
A tumble.
A fall.

Caution: Loose Gravel.
Caution: Bump In The Road.
Caution: Watch Your Step.
Caution.

We need sure footing.
We need a firm foundation.
We need something that is not going to move beneath our feet.
We need to be able to trust the path we are on.

There is only one way.
The Way is a Person.
The Person has given us instructions.
The instructions are in His Word and show us where to place our feet.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119: 105)

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 3:11)

There will be bumps in the road.
Our feet will sometimes slip.
With God’s Word as our light and Jesus as our foundation, we are on solid ground.
We can walk securely.

2 responses to “Bumps In the Road”

1. So true -love this!

   Reply

   • Thank you, friend!
     Isn’t amazing how God teaches us His truth in the most ordinary ways?
     Gina

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