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 offense to the good education I got in the Wayzata Public
School system, but it seems like we studied Robert Frost’s poem many times
over, and it still never thrilled me.
Right now, however, I’m thinking a lot about the last three
lines. I’m at a fork in the road, I have choices to make, and my
choices will make a difference.
We’re unexpectedly back in the US after only 3-1/2 months in
Jamaica. We believe God called us to
Robin’s Nest Children’s Home, we don’t believe the decision to send us home was
the right decision, and we don’t believe God’s will was honored in this
decision. All of a sudden, we’re dealing
with feelings of grief, hurt, and confusion, and trying to find a place to
live, furnishings, jobs, and a car. It’s
overwhelming.
The real questions at this fork in the road: Is God in control? Does He have a good plan for me?
So far, my reactions to this situation have been
hopelessness, despair, bitterness, and fear.
In many ways, those are the reactions that would take me on the path “more
traveled by”. Those are the reactions that
Satan is expecting.
What if I give Satan the exact opposite? More importantly, what if I take God AT HIS
WORD? What if I make a purposeful choice
to believe everything the Bible says about God’s character: He is faithful. He is just.
He is sovereign. He is love. He is compassionate. He is forgiving. He will give us a hope and a future. He is our Shepherd. He sees us.
I'm going to take that path.
In some ways, it’s a harder path. It goes against our nature and against what
the world tells us. There's no logic in it, and we can't see where it's going. It’s “less traveled”.
But look at this amazing promise: For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your
right hand and says to you: "Do not fear, I will help you." Isaiah 41:13
I will take God, the Creator of the universe, who raised Jesus from the dead, at His word.
