The Easy Route

I am so happy to report that I got my beautiful black Friesian horsey yesterday.  I'm even happier to report that he is the sweetest thing on four legs.  So gentle, so not bothered by the dog...Trixie...who has that; let's herd the beast, mentality.  Grundy (my horse) just ignores her.  Looks at her like he's trying to figure out if she has problem.  He looked at me the same way when I put some stinky oil on one of his rather dry hooves.  I'd have been okay with that but then he walked off snorting and I had to walk around the pasture trying to get the other three feet done.  I'm no dummy, I put a lead on him and held him in place for the final three.  Please do not ask the obvious question.

"Why didnt' you do it right in the first place?"  And that is "Todays Question:"

I know that this is a question that comes up so often in every life.  I don't even really have to ask it to the know the answer.  We all seem to struggle to do it right the first time.  We are looking for the easier route to a task.  In my fifty plus years I should know that there is no easier route to some jobs.  Oh I can surface clean my house and get the desired look, easier true, but if someone opens a cupboard and everything falls out, I'm left wondering why I didn't just do it right the first time.  I'm sure you can come up with a ton of examples of times that you took the "easy route."  It seems to work in miles, but not in life. 

It's Sunday morning and I find myself thinking of people who want the easy route to God.  I assure you it is simple....Jesus!  No other way in my opinion, not trying to offend just stating the facts as I know them, I tried several easier routes in my search for the facts.  Nothing and no-one gave me the peace that I lacked, no mind-control method, no make your own way, just live a good life, be nice and you'll be fine, nothing...I mean nothing filled the void.  When I surrendered my life to God, accepted my failings, received the grace He extended to me through His son, I was the happiest girl in the world.  And then that easy route, my accepting Christ, became the hardest thing I ever did.  It's no small task my friends to die to self, not easy to learn to trust God when the winds blowing around your head are gale force.  Even harder when your friends and family think you've gone off your rocker and become that horrible, scary, religious relative.  You know the one everyone avoids.  Yep, cost me friends and family relationships.  And I assure you, without attitude, that it was worth it on every count.

I'm not saying you should be happy when certain friends or family members avoid you, talk about you behind your back etc.,  I'm just saying it truly does not matter in the long run.  No family member, try as they might, was as close to me as Jesus was when my Calvin got sick and then went home.  No one gets me, loves me, fills me and enables me to keep going like Jesus does.  I was sad when those relationships changed and I was judged harshly because those people thought I was judging them harshly.  It's funny, in that sad way, that people make your acknowledging a desperate need for peace with God, about them. 

Easy routes never seem to be exactly what they appear, it has not be easy to drop the fifty one pounds it took me years to put on.  Once again I want the easy answer to undo years of work, it does not exist in any world on any topic, in any struggle. I wish it did...oh...and then I'm glad it doesn't.  Isn't life exciting.

My Prayer:  God give us the wisdom to take the road less traveled, simply because the lessons learned on that road will carry us through a lifetime.

Be blessed with a Wonderful Day.