The Long and Winding Road
On Saturday my daughter and I walked in a March of Dimes WalkAmerica 7k that took us along the bike and walking trails next to the river that flows into the downtown area. As we walked along there were several times that she said "I see your building." One time we talked about how I've worked in the same building for about 19 years and in downtown for about 23 or 24 years. A long time for sure. And at one point she said "I hate downtown. Every time I'm driving downtown I can see it in the distance and then suddenly it disappears. And when it reappears it is on a different side of the road and not where I was expecting it all!" I agreed with her and then after a minute, I said, "But it's not downtown that moves around. It is the road."
I realized when I said it that it was important and she said, "Are you gonna blog it???" So here I am blogging it...
As I have pondered this interesting situation, I have heard the song "The Long and Winding Road" as Paul McCartney sings it in my head. And I keep thinking and meditating on the long and winding road we are on in this life. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, we know our destination is eternity with Him and we can sometimes see it in the distance. We catch glimpses of it in all of its glory and then it disappears and then reappears and seems to move and change and never seems to get any closer. But it isn't the destination that is moving, is it? The movement is from the long and winding road that leads to His door...
The road we travel takes turns and goes up hills and down into valleys and turns again as we experience the reality of this life in fulfilling His kingdom purposes. It crosses rivers and enters tunnels and circles mountains as we are led by His hand to the places we must go to be renewed and transformed and conformed to His likeness. And as we travel we get weary at times and we turn off the road sometimes but even our resting and detours lead us to His door. The destination doesn't change or move or ever go away - it is just clearer on some days and hidden from our sights on other days. But we keep traveling. We keep journeying toward our eternal home. And, like my daughter, when we catch a glimpse, we can say to Father, "I see your building!" And we can see His smile. And we can hear Jesus, say, "I'm preparing a place for you here." And we can sense Spirit's nearness as He takes our hand and walks with us.
Our hope should not be simply in arriving at the destination, but in the joy of the journey spent with Him on this long and winding road. In Mark 10 there are several scenarios where Jesus talks about heaven and how to get there and who will arrive. At one point He tells His disciples that if they give their lives away for the kingdom, that they will regain all they gave away plus a whole lot more - along with many troubles as well. In The Message He adds: "And then the bonus of eternal life!" He was saying that the gain of walking the long and winding road with Him was not only arriving in eternity, wasn't He? I'm not sure the disciples really understood what He meant that day. I'm not sure I really get it on some days. But I'm praying that He will let me see it - like Blind Bartimaeus at the end of Mark 10. I think he got it. And I think he found joy in the journey as his eyes were opened.
They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!" Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over." They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus. Jesus said, "What can I do for you?" The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "On your way," said Jesus. "Your faith has saved and healed you." In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road. Mark 10:46-52 (The Message)
Walking,
Amy
I realized when I said it that it was important and she said, "Are you gonna blog it???" So here I am blogging it...
As I have pondered this interesting situation, I have heard the song "The Long and Winding Road" as Paul McCartney sings it in my head. And I keep thinking and meditating on the long and winding road we are on in this life. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, we know our destination is eternity with Him and we can sometimes see it in the distance. We catch glimpses of it in all of its glory and then it disappears and then reappears and seems to move and change and never seems to get any closer. But it isn't the destination that is moving, is it? The movement is from the long and winding road that leads to His door...
The road we travel takes turns and goes up hills and down into valleys and turns again as we experience the reality of this life in fulfilling His kingdom purposes. It crosses rivers and enters tunnels and circles mountains as we are led by His hand to the places we must go to be renewed and transformed and conformed to His likeness. And as we travel we get weary at times and we turn off the road sometimes but even our resting and detours lead us to His door. The destination doesn't change or move or ever go away - it is just clearer on some days and hidden from our sights on other days. But we keep traveling. We keep journeying toward our eternal home. And, like my daughter, when we catch a glimpse, we can say to Father, "I see your building!" And we can see His smile. And we can hear Jesus, say, "I'm preparing a place for you here." And we can sense Spirit's nearness as He takes our hand and walks with us.
Our hope should not be simply in arriving at the destination, but in the joy of the journey spent with Him on this long and winding road. In Mark 10 there are several scenarios where Jesus talks about heaven and how to get there and who will arrive. At one point He tells His disciples that if they give their lives away for the kingdom, that they will regain all they gave away plus a whole lot more - along with many troubles as well. In The Message He adds: "And then the bonus of eternal life!" He was saying that the gain of walking the long and winding road with Him was not only arriving in eternity, wasn't He? I'm not sure the disciples really understood what He meant that day. I'm not sure I really get it on some days. But I'm praying that He will let me see it - like Blind Bartimaeus at the end of Mark 10. I think he got it. And I think he found joy in the journey as his eyes were opened.
They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!" Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over." They called him. "It's your lucky day! Get up! He's calling you to come!" Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus. Jesus said, "What can I do for you?" The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "On your way," said Jesus. "Your faith has saved and healed you." In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road. Mark 10:46-52 (The Message)
Walking,
Amy
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