Potholes
Potholes are quite common this time of the year. Freezing and thawing with snow and rain added in is a nightmare for local transportation authorities and the drivers on the roads. They are often difficult to see, particularly in the dark and can do significant damage to a car’s front end and tires.
There are also potholes in life that we often don’t see coming. A tragic accident, the loss of a job or relationship, or the loss of health.
Back in August, I was at the gym just beginning my normal workout on an elliptical machine when I noticed my heartrate was extremely high. Thinking it was a faulty monitor, I just continued my workout. About 20 minutes in, I felt off. Nothing more distinct than that. So I ended my aerobic workout 10 minutes early and finished up on a few machines. When I got home, I checked my blood pressure several times—normal. But I noticed my pulse was all over the place. Rapid during one reading; very slow the next. Long story short, I had gone into atrial fabulation (AFIB).
My heart was shocked back into rhythm, and I thought that was the end of it. Little did I know. Over the next two months, I was in and out of arrhythmia (mostly out) and had an ablation procedure which revealed I was suffering from congestive heart failure.
Fast forward to the present, and my heart function has vastly improved. I am slowly getting back into shape, and starting to resume my normal activities. This was a pothole experience for me. I didn’t see it coming and it caused some damage. I will say the biggest challenge was dealing with the feeling of loss of control. I was at the mercy of my physical body and the doctors addressing its issues. It was frustrating at times, as well as depressing.
Yet, as I have learned countless times in my life, God was with me and He was faithful. It was dark at times, but the Lord always gave me nuggets of hope throughout this experience. He also taught me to number my days (Psalm 90:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2090%3A12&version=NIV) Life is getting shorter each and every day. None of us has a guarantee of tomorrow. You probably agree, but the truth of this is made more real when we experience how truly fragile are bodies are. We know that one day we will die; we just don’t know when. Thus, we should always be mindful our days here are numbered.
If for no other reason than this, life’s potholes are a valuable reminder of our dependence on the Lord, and what a blessing it is to have our hope not in this life, but rather in the life to come.
© Jim Musser 2025
