Cracked Driveways and Hidden Blessings

 Moving Madness

After a long and arduous day of moving, Wes and I collapsed on the floor, surrounded by boxes and what appeared to be the aftermath of a tornado. We held our plates in our laps, bowed our heads, and closed our eyes.

“Father, we thank you for all of your blessings: for our family, this food, and Lord, thank you for the cracks in the driveway!”

After praying, my husband blithely tore into his plate of potatoes and vegetables. Quizzically, I observed his contentment and began to ponder the final words of his prayer.

The Long Journey

I felt a strong sense of joy and relief with the completion of our move; it had been a long time coming. For months on end, Wes and I scoured what felt like every bit of property in North America. We contemplated land everywhere from the Carolinas to Utah and even took a road trip several hours west to view a piece of land. However, without a sense of peace, we passed on it all.

We are rather simple: I wanted trees, mountains, and seclusion. Wes wanted to be within an hour of a grocery store. Initially, our plan was to buy or build a tiny house on a small plot of land, but zoning and square foot minimums proved difficult for what we wanted. After months of frustration, we decided to suspend our search and continue renting for the foreseeable future.

One Sunday in late March, we were preparing for an afternoon bike ride when Wes got a notification about a house showing in our area. Having been fond of the “house hacking” concept for years, the duplex caught his eye. Immediately, we traded our cycling shoes for sneakers and hopped in the car. Even our drive to the property felt welcoming. I relished the picturesque farmland and distant mountain peaks, visible through the rolling hills, and the wooded wonderland captured my heart.

Upon arrival, we knew almost immediately that we wanted to make the hill our home. Then, the long and arduous buying process commenced. Good gracious—I had no idea that purchasing a home was so detailed, frustrating, and hair-pulling! Finally, we closed, and the long-awaited move-in day arrived. We’d made it! We were home,  and “Hutton Hill” was finally ours.

As Wes and I sat on the floor that evening, enjoying our first dinner together in our new home, we were overwhelmed with gratitude. In characteristic fashion, the Lord had given us something far better than we could have ever imagined- something so unique to our temperaments and quirks. It was absolutely perfect for us. Thinking about all of the blessings, I paused.

“Wes, I’m incredibly appreciative too… but why did you specifically thank God for the cracks in the driveway? I mean… they’re not that bad—we can certainly fix them… but I’m not exactly thrilled about them either… Why thank Him for the cracks and potholes?”

“Don’t you remember?” he asked. “Shannon, if it weren’t for the cracks in the driveway, I don’t think we would have even gotten the house.” My mind was fuzzy from all of the hullabaloo the past several weeks. Life itself seemed a blur, but I racked my brain and thought back to our first day viewing the house, and then I remembered…

**Thinking Back**

“Okay, Travis, what’s wrong with it?”

We both looked at our realtor and waited for his response. Characteristically full of candor and not one to beat around the bush, Travis paused.

“Wrong with it?”

“Yes,” retorted Wes. “Shannon and I have been studying this crazy market for months. Properties like this have been going under contract in a matter of hours, yet this house has been listed for over a week with no bites. Why?”

“Oh!” our realtor replied casually,“well… pretty much everyone who’s come to look at the property has been from California. Some of them thought it was a far drive to town, but mostly they all hated the driveway.”

“The driveway?” Wes and I looked at each other in disbelief. A charming, newly renovated, two-apartment duplex nestled in a private wooded acre surrounded by the charming high hills of East Tennessee—Hill Road, which aptly gets its name, winds down through the forest past small waterfalls and creeks before leveling out in breathtaking farmland. It’s a private oasis… all the perks of a mountain getaway without the ridiculous commute. It’s perfect! And people didn’t like it because of the driveway?

To be fair, the driveway meets the road with a sharp turn, is adorned with numerous potholes, and makes a steep—very steep—ascension through the property and up to the house. It certainly wasn’t a selling point, but the incline didn't bother us, and potholes can be repaired. 

Ugly Packaging- Beautiful Gifts

While we don’t love the cracks in the driveway, per se, Wes and I sure are thankful for them because they are the reason we got our house. If one of those wealthy investors had been able to overlook the temporarily ugly driveway, there’s no way we would have been able to outbid them on the property. However, because of a few fixable potholes, Wes and I purchased our home without competition!

A friend of mine used to say that some of God’s most precious gifts come to us in ugly wrapping paper. I always liked the visual of her statement, but getting the home of our dreams because of a driveway that is literally ugly really gave this thought a new perspective. It made me wonder what other beautiful gifts I’ve been blessed with and may be overlooking because of a perceived imperfection clouding my view. Better yet, how many of those “ugly imperfections'' are the very reason that gift is in my life in the first place?

The Ten Boom Sisters

Considering this reality reminds me of the incredible experiences of Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom. Last Christmas, my pastor challenged me to read The Hiding Place, which had been sitting on my shelf untouched for years. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I thought. “I don’t like sad stories, and you want me to read a depressing book about the Holocaust at Christmas?” Nonetheless, I took the challenge and opened the book.

Though a heavy story, no doubt, I was shocked by the healed, loving, and grateful tone with which Corrie writes. She tells of her trials from the viewpoint of a woman who intimately knows she is loved by her Savior and speaks of His continual mercy in the midst of unfathomable hardship. One of the most striking points of the Ten Boom sisters’ story is when Corrie’s sister, Betsie, begins to thank God for the fleas and lice that infested their dormitory at Ravensbrück. 

Corrie initially struggled to understand how her sister could be thankful for the source of torment. Only later did the sisters learn that the parasitic bugs had been used by God for their protection. Because the infestation was so deplorable, the guards rarely ventured to their dorm, giving the women an opportunity to read their Bible and share the life-altering news of Jesus’s love with those around them. Had it not been for the fleas and lice, dozens of women would have never encountered the news of Jesus.

Wrapping Up

Through these stories, I’m learning to appreciate the “cracked driveway” moments in life. Often, what seems like an imperfection or inconvenience is a blessing in disguise, leading us to gifts and opportunities we might otherwise overlook. Our new home and the Ten Boom sisters' story both remind me that some of the most precious gifts come wrapped in unexpected, sometimes unattractive, packages. These “ugly imperfections” may very well be the reason we receive the blessings meant for us.