Whoa! Which Road Are You On?

I was trying to find my way not long ago. I was supposed to bring some supplies to my husband and son at a house they were working on. Since they are contractors, they often need something extra, or something that didn’t get picked up for the last delivery. That happened this particular day.

DA called me and gave me directions. They were clear…until I got to “the fork in the road.“ By the time I had run to the lumber yard, picked up the item that they needed, chatted with the guys in the store, then drove the few miles to the road I was supposed to take, I had forgotten whether or not I was supposed to go right or left at the fork. I was pretty sure I was supposed to go left, and I did… the road became gravel, then became more narrow, and then I realized I was NOT “in Kansas anymore, Toto.” Because there was another fork in the road, and a driveway…oops, left went into a driveway, too. Back up…take out the cell phone…no bars…great…try anyway. As DA answered his phone, I explained that I thought I was lost, because there were TWO forks in the road.

“Did you turn at the sign on the tree that said, “Whoa!”?”
“No, you didn’t tell me THAT.”
“Honk your horn.” … I honked… “Oh, you’re here. Turn at the “Whoa!” sign.” And he hung up!

Fantastic. I was there and didn’t know it! I turned onto the road with the “Whoa!” sign. As I came around the bend, there stood my son on the roof of the house, waving. Gee whiz, I was there the whole time and thought I was lost. I gave DA his item and said, “I had NO idea all this was back here!” I have lived in the same area all my life, and the road I was on was a complete surprise to me.

As I was leaving, I realized that many times we take the road everyone else is on, never knowing that a whole other world of beauty is out there, if we had only taken the “road less traveled.”

“Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” ~Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus teaches that in order to get to Him, we have to take the narrow path. The gate that not many are entering through. In today’s society, following the “norm” is what’s popular. If we don’t, we are generally shunned. Not only by the general public, but often by our own Christian brothers and sisters. Because many have forgotten that being a true follower of Christ means being a sold-out believer. And well, for some that’s just too big of a commitment.

So which road are you on? Are you standing at the gate wondering which way to turn? I wish there was a sign that said “Whoa!” letting us know that this is NOT the right road to take. But there’s not. Instead, we have the words of Jesus in Matthew 7. Will you take the narrow gate…or will you follow everyone else?

Shelley Wilburn

Shelley Wilburn has been writing since the age of twelve. She loves stories and adventures, and often finds herself getting into mischief with any one of her six grandchildren. She has written several articles and devotionals over the years for various newspapers, women's magazines, and newsletters. She has also co-authored devotionals. Shelley began writing full-time in 2012 after being healed of over 40 years of depression and anxiety. Using her love of writing, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life. When not writing, you can find Shelley and her husband of over 30 years, D.A. zipping down the road in their newest adventure-maker, a bright orange, Mustang convertible Shelley has laughingly dubbed The Pony.