bless the broken Road

It is getting increasingly harder to pick a song to feature in the "Songs About Waiting" series so...don't be totally shocked if this series changes a bit in the coming weeks.  It will still feature awesome songs all about God and His infinite goodness, though they may not all be about waiting for love.  This in no way, shape or form means that there is a shortage of songs about waiting, but the upcoming change in the series is more a reflection of where my heart is at.  And, if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time you know that I write straight from the heart, so to attempt to write from anywhere else would be a disservice to my readers, to my own heart and to God Himself who places these things on my heart!  That being said...the song of the week!

Song: Bless the Broken Road
Artist: Rascal Flatts
Lyrics:
I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Yes He did

I think about the years I spent, just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there, you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

But now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I can't tell you how many times I've played this song over the years when I'm feeling lonely or after a break up or just because.  If you trusted my iTunes count it says 48 times but that doesn't include the hours and days I had it on repeat in my car, so God only knows how many times I've listened to this song. 

Don't we all set out on a narrow way?   We are, after all, looking for love and we don't want just anybody (perhaps in our deperation we would take anybody but if we are truly honest with ourselves then we have certain characteristics in mind).  We set out many years ago...don't you still remember your first crush?  I know I was a bit boy crazy and can remember having a crush on some boy named Tim in kindergarten.  Yes, that's right, I was five and basically convinced that I was going to marry him.  I also went through a phase when I was about seven where I loved Andres Galarraga (he played for the Colorado Rockies) so much that I told people we were engaged.  Boy craziness aside, God knows I set out on this course many years ago hoping to find true love, and whether I found it in my kindergarten classroom or at the Rockies games, I was out to find it. 

Oh but didn't we all get lost a time or two?  God bless you if you've never had a broken heart that only God could mend, but that wasn't the case for me.  I got lost a time or two, I had to crawl back to the feet of Jesus, begging Him to mend my heart.  He alone helped me to push through.  I couldn't see then how every sign was pointing me straight to the one God has chosen for me.  *sidenote* I'm a big believer in signs, some people say that I see them everywhere and make too much out of them, but I don't believe in coincidences.  God sends us signs everywhere, if only we open our eyes to see them.


"Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms..."  I've always loved this line.  Others who broke my heart pointed me back to God, whether or not they realized it.  Deep down I know that the only place a broken heart can heal is in the loving arms of God.  And, oh, those broken hearts.  I detest that my heart has been broken, it was certainly no fun.  What I dislike perhaps more is that anyone broke my future husband's heart.  How dare they?  What gives them the right?  And even though their pain may have been beyond words, somehow, by the grace of God, He uses that and leads us to our future mates.  Even our hurts work together, so long as we bring our hurts first to God.

The next verse always reminds me of "The Day Before You" (which I featured last week), its all about the years we spend just passing through.  Maybe it doesn't feel like wasted years, and really they shouldn't - God is using those days, weeks, months and years before you meet your beloved to shape you, to mold you into the person He wants you to be.  After all, its all part of a grander plan that is coming true.  And dear folks, it is coming true.  He is working even at this moment to prepare your heart and your future spouse's heart to be united in His perfect love.

Lord, help us to keep from being discouraged on the broken road.  Help us to see Your love, Your goodness in all of it as we place our trust in You, believing that You are guiding us along this broken road until the day we roll home into Your loving arms.  This much we know is true, You bless the broken road that leads us straight to You, and, if You are willing, to even more love along the way.  AMEN.