Keep The Straight Path!!

No. This is not a commentary on homosexuality.

I had to travel north this weekend. Due north. The traffic on the highway was terrible...there was an accident and I was headed directly into Washington DC. I had to use the bathroom, so I pulled off on an exit. It was innocent. I wasn't really trying to get around traffic or out of the mess...just a simple bathroom stop.

There was a lot of traffic taking this exit and at the end of the ramp, most everyone was turning to the right. I thought, "Surely there's a place to stop to the left...if I can squeeze by on the left, I can just come right back and get on the highway. So I went left. Avoiding the "exit" traffic. Before I realized what happened, I found myself on a road that was nothing more than a tiny two lane, back country road with 50 foot pines on either side of me. There was no where to turn around, no where to stop, and a line of traffic had quickly formed behind be (due to the slowpoke in FRONT of me). SIDE NOTE: I hope they weren't following me thinking I knew a secret shortcut!!

Anyway...we were all clipping along at around 40 miles an hour and I could tell we were getting deeper into this mess of trees. The roads were the twistiest, turning-est, hilly-est roads I've seen in a long time. It was all I could do to keep on the road, much less look ahead for a place to stop or turn around. After 12 miles, and about 15 or so frustrating minutes of this, the road opened up and I was able to pull over. I picked up the roadmap and a quick glance revealed to me that I had just gotten sucked through the back side of a state park...a drivers black hole. Usually no pulloffs and just enough road to get you "there"...wherever the heck "there" may be.

On the map, I saw two roads that would take me back the 12 miles I needed to go. By the way...my end destination was NORTH EAST and this little 20 minute jaunt had taken me NORTH WEST...so the only reasonable solution was to get back to the highway however I could. I could swing around a couple other roads and get back on it, or I could completely back track everything I just did, and STILL not find a bathroom! So I moved forward. Both roads that got me back to the highway were 4 lanes, smooth traffic, lots of potty stops. After about 45 minutes (and a greatly needed rest stop) I made it back to the main highway...4 miles north of where I pulled off originally. There was no other way...anything else would have taken me into DC or West of DC which would have meant I would have then had to travel through DC in rush hour traffic. So I backtracked and ended up 4 miles north of where I first exited. 4 MILES!! AUGH!

I thought of my walk with Christ. Things are going well, smooth even, and for some reason I'll pull off and before I know what has happened, I've taken a path that God had not necessarily made for me.
When God sent the Israelites into the Promised Land, he gave them instructions...Go North, and do not go to the left or to the right. They would pass by many tribes and peoples that would want to kill them or otherwise hurt them. God knew they would pass these tribes and nations...but He also knew the end result. He told them, "GO STRAIGHT" and they would be fine.

God has a path for each of us as well. It's the path of the "straight and narrow." Jesus says "Narrow is the path that leads to eternal life." John the Baptist was a "voice in the wilderness" crying out for us to "make straight the paths." I had no idea how far I would get taken out of my way. It seemed innocent...but sin, which is what takes us off our path for God...never seems otherwise. Many times we don't make a blatant choice to sin against God. Sometimes it happens, even though our intentions are good.

It wasn't until I was on my home tonight that if I had waited until the next exit...one mile...I would have had a nice rest stop and a quick exit/re-entry on to the highway.

Are you feeling frustrated and ready to "pull off the road" to take a quicker path? Pray that God would lead you (and me) on the path of the straight and narrow. And in those times of accidental wandering, make a quick effort to allow God to put you back on the path the same way I did...by picking up the ROADMAP, that is the Word of God.

BLESSINGS