September 21
Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the
highway, the road that you take. Return, virgin Israel, return
to your towns. Jeremiah 31:21
When my children became teenagers, all of them went through a phase of balking at the responsibilities that came with the practice of our religious faith. Our commitments were questioned and compared with their friends’ seemingly “easy,” less obligated life. At about
the same time, they were beginning to learn the rules of the road as well. In an “aha!” moment, presented before me was a simple correlation; there are many routes to God and if we follow the signs we will not get
lost. We talked about the various roadways for example, that took us to our treasured Cape Cod. One could take the scenic route; a long, slow, leisurely back road, where antique shops dot the countryside along with old, weathered farmhouses graced by their colorful fruit and vegetable stands waiting at attention, stocked and ready. Then there is the main thoroughfare where at every stoplight, stands one busy shopping mall or plaza after another, with traffic that frequently tangles and snarls with people in a hurry to get in there or to exit.
Or the super-highway may be the road of choice, where all the towns and stoplights are bypassed, and with light traffic, the beautiful, sandy shores can be reached in record time, but the experience of viewing the diverse
neighborhoods and the character of each town are completely missed! Should there be any uncertainty at all along the road we choose to get to the Cape, by following the road signs, we find our way; no matter which path is taken and no matter the twists and turns, those signs direct us. In addition, by being attentive to where we are, the return home is identifiable. One thing that must be remembered carefully though, the laws governing
each road are each quite different, and if stopped by law enforcement because one is travelling recklessly, no excuses are accepted. It is the responsibility of each driver to be aware of posted signs and to follow the rules of that particular road. This analogy gave them something to think about; something they could relate to.
Isn’t our religious journey of faith a little like this? There are times when our faith seems to move quickly forward and we feel we have reached a pinnacle, yet at the same time feel we have missed something.
At other times life gets snarled by the ups and downs we experience day to day and we feel that no progress
is being made at all - that we are in a limbo-like state - going through motions and getting nowhere, when in reality we are slowly and steadily moving forward, nourished by the very practice of that faith. Whatever our religious preference, the teachings and traditions we follow, all lead us to God. What road we take is our choice. But it is up to us to seek with open eyes, the guideposts and signs rooted in Scripture that God has placed all around us. Some are rooted in the practice of our religion, some have been placed before us by our ancestors, some set by the examples of family and friends, and some lie deeply secured within our spirit; all there, so that when we are standing at a crossroad in our life and feel lost, with gratitude we can find our way back to Him.
God be with us when we reach a crossroad and do not know which way to go to find You! Show us the
way home! Abba, Father we are yours!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the
highway, the road that you take. Return, virgin Israel, return
to your towns. Jeremiah 31:21
When my children became teenagers, all of them went through a phase of balking at the responsibilities that came with the practice of our religious faith. Our commitments were questioned and compared with their friends’ seemingly “easy,” less obligated life. At about
the same time, they were beginning to learn the rules of the road as well. In an “aha!” moment, presented before me was a simple correlation; there are many routes to God and if we follow the signs we will not get
lost. We talked about the various roadways for example, that took us to our treasured Cape Cod. One could take the scenic route; a long, slow, leisurely back road, where antique shops dot the countryside along with old, weathered farmhouses graced by their colorful fruit and vegetable stands waiting at attention, stocked and ready. Then there is the main thoroughfare where at every stoplight, stands one busy shopping mall or plaza after another, with traffic that frequently tangles and snarls with people in a hurry to get in there or to exit.
Or the super-highway may be the road of choice, where all the towns and stoplights are bypassed, and with light traffic, the beautiful, sandy shores can be reached in record time, but the experience of viewing the diverse
neighborhoods and the character of each town are completely missed! Should there be any uncertainty at all along the road we choose to get to the Cape, by following the road signs, we find our way; no matter which path is taken and no matter the twists and turns, those signs direct us. In addition, by being attentive to where we are, the return home is identifiable. One thing that must be remembered carefully though, the laws governing
each road are each quite different, and if stopped by law enforcement because one is travelling recklessly, no excuses are accepted. It is the responsibility of each driver to be aware of posted signs and to follow the rules of that particular road. This analogy gave them something to think about; something they could relate to.
Isn’t our religious journey of faith a little like this? There are times when our faith seems to move quickly forward and we feel we have reached a pinnacle, yet at the same time feel we have missed something.
At other times life gets snarled by the ups and downs we experience day to day and we feel that no progress
is being made at all - that we are in a limbo-like state - going through motions and getting nowhere, when in reality we are slowly and steadily moving forward, nourished by the very practice of that faith. Whatever our religious preference, the teachings and traditions we follow, all lead us to God. What road we take is our choice. But it is up to us to seek with open eyes, the guideposts and signs rooted in Scripture that God has placed all around us. Some are rooted in the practice of our religion, some have been placed before us by our ancestors, some set by the examples of family and friends, and some lie deeply secured within our spirit; all there, so that when we are standing at a crossroad in our life and feel lost, with gratitude we can find our way back to Him.
God be with us when we reach a crossroad and do not know which way to go to find You! Show us the
way home! Abba, Father we are yours!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson