| What does it feel like to be a Christian? |
| It feels like being on a road trip. There are moments when you can clearly read your map, and you know exactly where you're going. However, every traveler knows that it's also important to pay attention to the ever-present road signs. Being a Christian means that you are constantly barraged with choices. |
| It's just not always an easy trip. So many times, I've felt like I'm on my own, left to my own resources. These are the toughest times and it's hard to stick it out. During these harshest conditions, I look for a place to pull off the road and take a break from the ever present struggles that are before me. These are the times I really need a good look in the rear view mirror, but to my disappointment, I see nothing. Just when I think can't take it any more, there it is... |
| Never a moment too early, but never a moment too late, I find a place to escape from the hectic pace of my many problems...a chance to catch my breath. A look in the rear view mirror gives a clear view of what I couldn't see before. All along the way, there had been help, but my back window had been covered by the hand that held me to the road. |
| Usually, these times are followed by a place of rest, a place to prepare for the next phase of my journey. I could tell you that being a Christian is like being a passenger in a luxury car, like being chauffeured to some wonderful vacation spot, and that it's a short, smooth drive. Maybe that has been the experience of others, but it hasn't been mine...and if you've read this far, you must want to know what it really feels like. |
| If you choose this life, you'll be embarking on a different road, one that's far off the well-traveled, beaten path... a road that doesn't promise to be the easiest. |
| So many other travelers have written entire books about their trip. I've found these to be helpful to an extent. It's important to remember: You are on a road that's ever-changing, and your journey will not be the same as anyone else's. |
| Many times, I've been distracted by things I've passed and have taken my eyes off the road... I find myself taking little detours, getting a little lost, wondering, what happened? How did I get here? |
| Other times, I've been delayed by the bumps of life. I felt like I would never stop being jarred by the circumstances around me. When this has happened, I've found it encouraging to look into the rear view mirror and see the distance I've come and the help I've received along the way. |
| Some people have wondered why I chose a road so narrow, so difficult. Had you ever felt that hand holding you to the road, you'd know. Had you ever been so sure of your destination, you'd know. Had you ever felt what it was like to have real rest and peace, you'd accept all the bumps, the icy roads, knowing that just ahead, there's a soft shoulder, just ahead...just ahead... You'd keep going, too. |
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| Copyright by April Red Bluff is my Town December 19, 2006 |
