Lighting the Path

Psalm 139: 23-24
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Some time back, Tracie and I were going to Winter Park Colorado in December. To get to the pass, we had to drive along I-70, which is a nice wide road with a couple of tunnels and a beautiful view. Then we had to exit onto a much different type of road up and over the mountain. We had driven the pass a couple of times in the summer. It was always a journey of breathtaking views as well as a little bit of a white-knuckle drive if you’re normally a flatland driver. One bit of advice given to us was not to drive in the dark, especially in the winter. Sounded like sage words so we always planned to start the pass in time to finish in daylight.

Our first time in the winter didn’t follow our plans. We hit I-70 in what appeared to be plenty of time to get over the pass in daylight. At least so we thought. I learned a new term that day: “ski traffic.” Apparently, every weekend, people flood out of the Denver area and drive to the mountains to ski. The problem for Tracie and I was that we had not factored in the additional hours spent in this weekly traffic jam. We got to the pass about dark and slowly began our way up on the snow—and ice-covered road. It wasn’t long before it was a drive of intense concentration, fear, and, yes, white knuckles as well as very intense prayers. At least I had something to do, like try and keep the car on the road. Tracie was stuck with nothing but fear and worry. We passed a wreck that fortunately didn’t have any injuries. Unfortunately, it didn’t serve to slow a lot of drivers down as they passed me, just another flat-lander trying to drive the mountain. I suppose I was just in their way. The cars behind me increased the stress by impatiently driving too close to my bumper. We needed some help in this journey!

About a third of the way up, the Lord delivered up our salvation in a typically unexpected way. A snowplow pulled onto the road just ahead of me. Not only did the plow make the pavement safer, but its lights lit up the road, both in front and behind. The only irritation was the bright rear flood light that made me squint. I followed that plow up and over the mountain thanking God the whole way. The verses mentioned above, from Psalm 139, reminded me of that journey over Berthoud Pass.

Now, I realize I was the one who decided to drive that mountain in the snow and dark, it was my own choice. Yes, there were circumstances I didn’t know about, but I have to own a poor choice. That did not stop me from begging God into the situation as I did all I could on my part to get us over the pass alive. I could have followed the rest of the drivers and assumed my skill on snow, ice, and hairpin turns was up to the task. In every journey with God or without God, we have to make decisions. The best one I made that night was prayer.

You can call it luck, serendipity, or whatever, but the plow and the timing were a Godsend for Tracie and me. It often seems that God works in our lives in the most unexpected ways. We may not know how or what the Lord is doing, but we do need to look for what God sends us. And then we have to follow. It wouldn’t have done me any good to get irritated about the light in my eyes and pass the plow like others were doing. And sometimes God’s way is an irritation to how we want to make our journey. Fortunately, I recognized the plow as an answer to my dilemma and followed as long as it was on the road.

In our Christian journey, we will find ourselves on unexpected roads that work against our growing in Christ. There is always pressure from others who say they know better. We just need to follow them up and down the mountain at their speed. Just because it appears to work for others doesn’t mean it is the best choice for us. Not all that many are trying to follow Christ to a new destination in their soul. Traveling a road that is closer to the love of God within us requires that we follow the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Jesus.

The snowplow reminds me of Jesus paving the road ahead and bringing light to guide me. In my daily journey, I find God helping me focus on the road and not the real or perceived danger surrounding us. Fear not, says the Lord, keep your eye on the light in front of you. The negative words around us or the advice of others can lead us astray, even when we are trying to stay on course. We need a guide at times, someone who knows the road and understands the conditions we are traveling in. We are not traveling a road that Jesus does not understand. I don’t know how a person is following Christ over the slippery road of everyday living without listening for him. Prayer and following the guidance of God is the safe and sure way to keep us on track in our daily Christian walk. Often this means accepting that we need to be corrected and then making our own corrections. The results can be life-altering.

Join us Sunday as we look at letting God in and listening to His words of life-giving correction.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Pastor Rick