More timely words from the journal…
Maybe not every day, but often enough, I come to a crossroads in my decision-making with two paths to choose—one, the well-worn, comfortable, tempting path of the world’s way of doing things, the other one much less traveled and with a One-way rougher but incredibly beautiful route of faith that seems to disappear into who-knows-where over the horizon.
And at each crossroads of life—whether the biggest decisions or the littlest ones— the anthem I keep hearing ringing in my ears is the same: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15).
Choose for yourself things not to be checked off but to be walked out over and over again.
Things Jesus said and did.
Things He said and did only because His Father was saying and doing them.
Things His first followers saw Him do in the routine of their days, and then sought to do likewise,
And then wrote down for our benefit some 2000 years later.
A roadmap for the much less traveled path.
Things like this:
"Love others well, and don’t hide behind a mask; love authentically.
"Despise evil; pursue what is good as if your life depends on it.
"Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers.
"Be first to honor others by putting them first.
"Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work.
"Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord.
"Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner.
"Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer.
"Share what you have with the saints, so they lack nothing;
"Take every opportunity to open your life and home to others."—Romans 12:9-13, The Voice
At every crossroads, then, take the back road and choose Life as it was meant to be lived.
And as you go, stay the course.
Keep listening for the still small voice of Wisdom and lean not on your own understanding.
Listen, even, to the confirming words of the great New England poet Robert Frost, who probably didn’t even realize he was speaking prophetically when he wrote…
“Two roads diverged in a wood,
And I—I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
—from “The Road Less Traveled”
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