At any rate, I came to a fork in the road and it was time to make a decision. The road to the left was newer, wider, in better condition, and went in the general direction I needed to go.
But I took the other road—and it turned out to be a wise decision.
The reason for my decision: it looked like the road to the right had been around a while and was well used. Hence it was narrower (overgrown with time) and in poorer shape because it was used more.
People tell me I can be a fairly good navigator. Since I was a child I’ve loved maps. I remember studying the maps on a cross-country road trip that our family took when I was seven. Back then, most gas stations gave out free maps--that was always a highlight for me! And it certainly helped to have good map reading and navigational skills in my previous occupation where I made maps.
But navigating is not just about maps—it’s also reading road and traffic conditions. One trick I will often use in unfamiliar territory is to follow the dominant traffic flow—at least if I’m trying to stay on a through road. Occasionally that backfires—as when I once ended up at a Coscto.
I think of my crossroad decision—where I followed what appeared to be the more “traveled” road—and I compare it to the last lines of Robert Frost’s famous poem:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost has a different take on navigation here. And his take is perhaps a bit more relevant to how we navigate through life.
Often, if we want to do the right thing, we will not be doing the popular thing. Or if we are leading in a given area, we will often be blazing a new trail.
Jesus said:
13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. –Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)
This well-know verse comes near the end of the Sermon on the Mount. And in the Sermon on the Mount there is a collection of sayings that go like: “you have heard it said…, but I say to you…” where Jesus contrasts the normal way of doing things with God’s way. The implication is that God's way of doing things is often along the "road less traveled".
Sometimes it can be lonely when you take the road less traveled. It is a road where we can find ourselves misunderstood quite often. It takes courage to walk that road.
Today in church, a young woman got up during the sharing time and started telling a story. I had a hard time following what she was saying because she was talking very fast and in a mixture of Thai and Khmu all of which was muffled by her tears. The young woman was confessing some sin in her life and apologizing to those she had offended.
It took a lot of courage for her to do that. Afterwards, one of the church leaders got up and reminded people about the importance of what had just happened, commending the young woman for daring to do what she just did, and trying to make sure that she was not misunderstood. This opened the way for mending of relationships that had been broken or messed up because of her behavior.
This young woman had come to one of the many crossroads in life and had to decide whether she was going to follow the well-traveled road—and pretend like her misbehavior was okay or did not matter—or whether she was going to follow the less-traveled road of obedience to Jesus.
She took the road less-traveled…
…and it made all the difference.
Edd: Thank you for sharing , the road less traveled. As you; I have been on that road too, as a child I loved the maps given by the gas stations to read, and as an adult gotten up to confess my sin because I wanted to stay on that one road. It is lonely, but coming across you story helps to know others experience the same thing. Now please excuse me as I go and wipe my tears away, because your reflection spoke to me this Sunday morning that I read it. Thank you for your commitment to following the road less traveled.
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