Sometimes things don’t turn out as you plan. No real secret there, right?

As my son loaded up a bed frame to take to his first “home away from home” at college, he casually said the frame was secure in the back of the pickup.

However, at the first significant bump in the road, that frame sailed out of the truck and into the middle of the interstate.

Since I was a few miles ahead of him, he called with the news, to which I cried out to God, “Lord, not something else!”

Not knowing what else to do, he kept driving, seeing cars swerving in the lanes behind him.

The other drivers must have been stunned to see the cloth and metal frame flying toward them. Fortunately, someone stopped and moved the obstruction to the side of the road, and no one was injured in the ordeal.

Bumps can surprise us.

Have you had a bump in the road recently? Have things not gone as planned? It seems I’ve had quite a few lately — too many to count!

What is your bump in the road?

• Was it your dream that went flying out the window?
• Was it a dreaded call that came?
• Was it a careless, hurtful word that left you a wreck?
• Was it a sinful act sent your life spiraling out of control.

Bumps can change us.

Consider the woman in the Bible who was caught in adultery (John 7:53 – 8:11). She didn’t plan on being caught, but when the Pharisees showed up, she knew her life would change. In fact, she could have thought her life would end that day.

But that “bump” introduced her to Jesus, who stood beside her, offered no condemnation and told her to sin no more. That one act changed her life.

The bumps I’ve experienced have changed, shaped and even sharpened me – so much so that I am a different person. When I thought I was done, Jesus picked me up, and gave me a firm foundation, hope for a better tomorrow and the will to keep going.

Jesus stood by my side and in the gap for me and remained by my side until I was no longer the same.

Bumps can be used for good.

I encourage you to look at your bump in the road differently. Maybe it will project you into a new phase in life. Perhaps it will remind you of what God has already done in your life. Or it could possibly serve as a wake-up call to fulfill the purpose God has for you.

I wish I knew the rest of that woman’s story. Did she go back and pick up the pieces? Did she repent from her lifestyle and follow Jesus? Did she tell others of the mercy, grace, forgiveness and new life extended to her?

My nephew and son went back to get that bedframe. It was torn and scarred from the impact and being dragged across the concrete, but it was still strong enough to do what it was designed to do.

We may not be hauled to a makeshift trial on a dusty, brick-paved road, however, we’ll likely be scarred and bruised from the impact of our bump.

Even so, we can still be used for good. With Jesus by our side, we have the strength to do what God designed us to do.

Take that bump — that lesson — and let it be used for good.