Sunday Wisdom

This sunday evening our pastor preached on John 19 especially vs. 25, 26, and 27. John was the only disciple represented at the foot of the cross, but he also ran away when Jesus was taken. The pastor had many points, but the most important, to me, was this one. John wandered from Christ (actually ran away). You would think Jesus would chastise him for it, but instead, when he came back, Jesus had an important job for him. This applies for me lately. May path lately hasn't really been straight. Actually, my whole spiritual road hasn't really been straight. Bunyan wrote of a man traveling on a journey as an analogy of the Christian's life, and the image is a powerful one. Sometimes I think of this path as a straight one. As if once you pass through the right gate you have a straight (though uphill) path to heaven. I am evidently mistaken. The gate may be straight, but the path sure hasn't been in my experience. This should not be. When we want to get somewhere, we don't take the "scenic route"; we plot a straight line. The ultimate joy is in the destination, not the journey. Side trips only slow us down. How marvelously patient is our guide, who waits on the path for us to return. What mercy, that he comes to get us when we cannot return to Him. What love, that He cleanses us again from the dirt that we have gathered in our wanderings off the path. What redeeming love, when He binds up the wounds that have been caused by our refusal to stop and turn around. What we should do is ask for directions as soon as we realize we are wandering. What we really should do is read and follow the directions he left us, to get to His house. There is the party that never ends, all to His Glory as He deserves.