One Way, But You Have to Choose

Photo Borrowed From Atticus @ Photobucket

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

                                                           ...Robert Frost

No words are better than Frost's for describing times in our lives when we have to make a decision. For those who know my writing, this should not come as a surprise that I find great inspiration in this poem and can relate it to following God. My journey started when I was a young child of six, I wanted to understand what this Jesus talk was about and crawled into my mom's lap and asked that she help me get Him in my heart....I still remember that day vividly and my thirst for wanting to know Him was extremely strong. I grew up in a traditional baptist church, bounced around to evangelical, non-denominational church, I made my rounds...I was always searching, gaining tid-bits of truth here and a dose of lies there. Like any passionate youngster I made mistakes and believed half-truths standing for some things that seemed right at the time only later to find out I was wrong. I followed teachers and pastors and read my Bible and the hunger never left me to understand my Creator, why I was here, what mattered in life? And yes, there were times I am not proud of, times I shut Him out and tried to figure it all out on my own. I thought, "I can do this myself, I can find my own way", and that road only lead to confusion, sadness, idleness, false worship and more questions. I believe this is one of the lessons having your own free will can teach you (if your smart)....having a choice to do what we please doesn't always mean it is right. Our free will is a God-given gift, one that is a tool used by God (if we allow Him) to show that His way really is the better way; harder, but better. God was good to me and put a fork in my road one day, I had to stop, think and really LISTEN. He directed me on what I should be doing (that's between me and Him, but He was very clear about it) and as I DECIDED to slow down really take His direction and began to do what he asked of me a REALITY struck. I had been pushing, trying, fighting for truth but some of it was my 'truth' (meaning: thinking/views) mixed with the world's truth.  He was specific on the things I needed to change in order to commune with Him. He pinpointed things in my heart that needed changing because they were not like Him. He showed me a picture of what I made of myself without Him and in His view it was not pretty. But God is gracious and kind and also gave me a glimpse of what He wants to change me into if I would only let Him and that picture was much better then I could have fashioned on my own.
There are teachings in the world that there are many paths to God, or one of the popular ones in these times; you are a god. Lots of toes are stepped on and people offended because one religion says this while another says that. It is really one mixed up frenzy. Wouldn't we as people love it if someone came along and said stop this madness, I have directions and here they are but this is the only way to get there, there are deterrents that can hold you up but there's warning signs so listen to them and you'll be fine. Well folks, we have that simple map and God sent it through His Son Jesus. He's been saying He would since the beginning, since the Fall, He made a way, ONE way (as lazy as humans can be wouldn't we be grateful for this, it's already there for you, no figuring necessary; submission, trust and obedience is what He requires). He sent prophets, He sent pictures through the sacrificial system to point to His solution, JESUS. Then He DID IT, HE sent His Son to us and the message somehow still got lost, People didn't know who Jesus was, even those that should have (Pharisees and Sadducees) because they were caught up in the world's system, the world's ways of defining God and who He should be. Like anyone whose identity is in question would, Jesus told them like it was, I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through me.
I could go on, I believe I've made my point. I chose to reject the world's 'road' and trust HIM and His WORD and He has not once let me down in His promises.  I'm still learning and growing and making mistakes and have a long way to go on this road but I have a confidence, a hope and a real interaction that is personal with the One true God. I am taking the road less traveled and it makes all the difference.