The Dead End Face of God

A Dead End can be a great place for a young couple looking for a place to do some private parking and sneak in a smooch or two. Reaching a Dead End on the roads of life is usually a sign that your journey was a waste of time. A dream ended, a divorce happened, or maybe your company went bankrupt. We travel on Dead End roads in life everyday. The sour taste from a Dead End journey can be sweetened with the honey of wisdom from the lessons you learned along the path.

After traveling on a particularly painful Dead End life road, I was wallowing grief, pain and self pity. I thought I had been following a path that God wanted me to travel and it lead to a Dead End. In self righteous anger, I asked God:

 "If You knew this was going to be a Dead End road, why did you let me travel this way?" God's answer was simple (it always is!) "If you hadn't traveled on this Dead End road, you wouldn't have learned what I wanted you to learn."

On Dead End roads I have learned about things like humility, poverty, compassion, kindness, empathy, faith, appreciation, serving, communion, understanding and yielding. Dead Ends have birthed new understanding in my soul. I have come to a place of seeing God's face at the Dead End.

I've seen God's face in the hug of a widow whose husband was murdered while fixing his granddaughters pink bike. 

I've seen God's face in the tears of an innocent 17 year old girl wearing an orange jumpsuit sitting in jail.

I've seen God's face as I placed my hand on the chest of a 14 year old boy. I felt his final heartbeat. He was murdered while riding his bicycle.

I've seen God's face in the foggy look of an alcoholic looking for his next drink.

I've seen God's face in the reach of a man searching the dumpster for food.

I've seen God's face in the cries of a heroin addict at 3am asking for milk to calm her stomach.

I've seen God's face in the dirt of a freshly dug grave as I stood on the dirt of a freshly covered grave.

I've seen God's face in the voice of a ten year old girl who asked: "Why is my daddy's arm cold?" Her fingers were touching the cold arm of her father in a casket.

I've seen God's face in the words of an 8 year old boy as he says: "Come around this side of the casket. You can see where they shot my daddy's ear off."

I've seen God's face in the struggle of teenagers as they climb mountains.

I've seen God's face in a stillborn child wrapped in swaddling clothes lying on a nurse's cart.

I've seen God's face in the tears of a teenager who bore the stillborn child. 

I've seen God's face in a young man smiling as he shoveled horse manure in a barn. Tragedy had divided his family. 

I've seen God's face in the glass eye of a homeless man. His other eye had a tear in it because we remembered his birthday.

I've seen God's face in the darkened blood stains on city sidewalks. 

I've seen God's face in the broken hearts of fractured families.

I've seen God's face in the desperation of homeless teenagers searching for a safe place to lay their heads.  

I've seen God's face in the joy that comes from sharing burdens and struggles.

Someone sleeps here under the expressway. Can you see God's face.

 Have you ever seen what it looks like in the "home" of a homeless person. Under a viaduct, a block from 2 churches, 4 blocks from the City Mission and within a shadows distance of City Hall is a 'home" for the homeless. You may have driven by and looked up at what appears to be a garbage strewn mess. I found books, shoes, crutches, pillows, blankets and more. I flinched when I saw a pillow on top of concrete in what appeared to be a bed. Imagine your self esteem so low that this was the place you called home. I found a dime, something of value. God desires that none should perish - not even people who live under a bridge.

Authors Note: "When I read this chapter to my wife, we both balled our eyes out. We were overcome with deep pain. It's okay to cry. Don't hold back, don't hold it in, let the River flow!" 

 Today's Wise Saying is from Proverbs 24:13-14.

 Proverbs 24:13-14

New International Version (NIV)

Saying 26

¹³ Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
    honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
¹⁴ Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
    If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:13-14

The Message (MSG)

26

^13-14 Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you—
    and delicacies that melt in your mouth.
Likewise knowledge,
    and wisdom for your soul—
Get that and your future’s secured,
    your hope is on solid rock.

Proverbs 24:13-14

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹³ My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

¹⁴ So shall you know skillful and godly Wisdom to be thus to your life; if you find it, then shall there be a future and a reward, and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:13-14

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Dead Ends can become Honey Streets.

 Heart-Storming Challenge:

• In what adversity have you seen God's face?

• How can you give someone a heart-smile?

• How's your level of compassion as indicated by empathetic action (do you serve others?)

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
 Jesus loves you and so do we.