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Last Saturday we had a young man come out and help with some chores around the Drove. Since he is not yet old enough to drive, I picked him up Saturday morning and we headed to the farm. Now, it is important that I share here that when folks are coming out, I tell them they have to pick their poison on routes in. One path leads you down a back, back, dirt road that requires creek crossing, another route has less dirt but an incredibly steep dirt hill, and the third way, while containing fewer “obstacles”, is the longest portion of dirt road. For the record, most folks prefer the longer of dirt roads, what we call the up and around path. I, on the other hand, prefer the creek crosser. It is by far the most scenic of the routes as you travel through the woods and each season holds a beauty all its own back here. Anyway, as we merged off of the main road onto the back wood’s road he said, “You know, there is an easier way to do this.” This made me chuckle, mainly because he was giving me tips on how to get to my own home, but also because that’s such a typical thought in society today, follow the path of least resistance.

 

In typical teacher fashion, I said to him, “Well yes, but the easier way isn’t always the better way. In fact, often times, some of the greatest things in life require that we travel the bumpy road a bit to truly find them and almost always anything worth having requires a degree of work.” I then went on to share with him all of the reasons why I prefer to take the road less traveled. We chatted and discussed the pros and cons of things that are easier versus things that are more valuable. We determined that sometimes it’s true that working smarter not harder is beneficial but also denoted that it is still working, and so the conversation went for a bit.

 

Of course, I have continued to reflect upon our conversation for days, and God has been using that time spent traveling the backwoods and connecting in heart and spirit to teach me a few things. My initial thoughts and chuckles were, as stated earlier, due to the fact that he was giving me tips on how to best get home. As you may have already imagined, the moment I thought it, I felt the Spirit nudge me regarding the many times I try to do the very same thing. Tell the Lord that there may be an easier path on this journey toward our heavenly home. He spoke to me in a sweet, soft whisper that, as I relayed to my young traveling companion, the “easier” way isn’t always the better way. I’ve been chewing on that for a bit as we find ourselves facing some new challenges by way of making ends meet and figuring out the many “how do we” questions.

 

Spiritually speaking, it is seldom that we embark on a journey worth traveling that takes us down the road of least resistance. I’ve heard it said that if you aren’t facing challenges that are so big that only God can make a way then you probably aren’t doing things that require you to depend on God rather than yourself. This definitely equates to my lecture in terms of the fact that the most valuable things rarely manifest without some bumpy roads and a degree of work. In essence, faith walking is always a trip down the road less traveled, but the views along the way are unparalleled and the outcomes are eternally beautiful.

 

I don’t know what paths you’re facing, but the scripture tells us that, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). One thing I know for sure, I would rather travel the bumpy, narrow road ordained by God with Him at my side than to walk the path of least resistance without His presence. As you face your own crossroads in life, or as you travel the creek crossing, bumpy back roads, remember that God has a plan and His path is always the one with the greatest purpose; even in the seasons when it’s harder to see the beauty before us.

 

 

~ Jen