Traveling Two-Lane Roads

For most of my growing up years I traveled two-lane roads. We lived in a rural area far away from any superhighways, the interstate, expressways and the like. I learned to drive on those roads—some of which were dirt or mud depending on the weather, some closer to one-lane roads than two. Dad let my sister and me drive on those roads long before we could reach the pedals. Navigating first in the family car sitting on his lap then when we grew tall enough, we learned the idiosyncrasies of using the clutch, the brake and the gas pedal in one of my dad’s one-ton welding trucks. By the time I took driver’s education in high school, I already knew how to drive. My dad knew how important learning to drive correctly and navigating all kinds of roads would be for his daughters.

Dad was a good teacher. Mom was too just in differing ways. When we messed up, they re-directed us. They disciplined us too. I admit sometimes I thought they were harsh and maybe not as fair as they should have been. I no longer do. They were not perfect. They made mistakes, but nothing they did or did not do caused any of the difficulties I experienced as I grew older and started choosing all the different roads I would travel.

From them, I learned the importance of choosing wisely, of seeing the bigger picture, and yes, of slogging through the mud. When I had children of my own, I understood what my parents were trying to do. They wanted my sister and me to be adept drivers, and they wanted us to be strong navigators in life. When I had sons of my own, I wanted the same for them. Fortunately, they survived the many mistakes this mom made. They slogged through some tough years. I saw them repeat some of my mistakes and make their own. Although perspectives differ from mine, I see them traveling different roads than they once did, following the path God intends for their lives. The funny thing about my sons...they are not the perfect sons I once thought they would grow up to be. They were at a definite disadvantage us not being perfect parents and they not perfect children.

I recognize my perspectives of the past and the present are not always the same as those of my sons or my husband. We do, however, stand on common ground and rest in the wisdom of God's unchanging Word. I am grateful for God's great love and His hand upon this family. I have witnessed more than a few instances in our lives that assure me God is with us in all our circumstances even when we do not recognize or acknowledge His mighty presence. He has walked every road with us. He allows U-turns when we choose the wrong road. Living life as a Christian, following a biblical worldview is the only perspective from which I choose to live, but the reality of my own life...at times I get it right. At other times I do not. Still, God remains. He does not let go.

Most of us are fully aware of our mistakes. What we do with them matters. The same is true of our sins. There is, however, a common misconception about our sins. Sins are not mistakes. In every sin there is a choice. At the center of sin is self. When we depend on our own self-sufficiency and follow our self-will, we become self-seeking and true only to me, myself and I. Following the desires of our selfish hearts, Satan rejoices. He wants us to hear, “God will give you the desires of your heart.” He knows what the Bible says and, like so many others, uses it often to manipulate biblical truth stripping the words out of context, picking and choosing verses that meet the needs of the moment, but the fourth verse in Psalm 37 does not stand alone.

Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither, 

like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good;

 dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord, 

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; 

trust in him and he will do this:

 He will make your righteous reward 

shine like the dawn,

 your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed

in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; 

do not fret—it leads only to evil.

For those who are evil will be destroyed, 

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more; 

though you look for them,

they will not be found.

 But the meek will inherit the land 

and enjoy peace and prosperity.

The wicked plot against the righteous 

and gnash their teeth at them;

 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, 

for he knows their day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

 to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts, 

and their bows will be broken.

Better the little that the righteous have 

than the wealth of many wicked;

for the power of the wicked will be broken,

 but the Lord upholds the righteous.

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, 

and their inheritance will endure forever.

In times of disaster they will not wither;  

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish: 

Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, 

they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

The wicked borrow and do not repay, 

but the righteous give generously;

those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, 

but those he curses will be destroyed.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;

though he may stumble, he will not fall,

 for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old, 

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken 

or their children begging bread

They are always generous and lend freely; 

their children will be a blessing.

Turn from evil and do good; 

then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; 

the offspring of the wicked will perish.

 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,

and their tongues speak what is just.

The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, 

intent on putting them to death;

 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Hope in the Lord  and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land; 

when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

 but he soon passed away and was no more;   

 though I looked for him, he could not be found.

 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

a future awaits those who seek peace.

But all sinners will be destroyed;

there will be no future for the wicked.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

The Lord helps them and delivers them; 

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

(Psalm 37, NIV)

Wrapped in the words of Psalm 37 is a beautiful promise. If we love God with all that we are—heart, mind and soul—He does give us the desires of our hearts. Even in a world in which wickedness pursues us and struggles and trials burden us, we find peace, joy and contentment when we no longer seek after sinful and selfish things; but rather, “delight ourselves in the Lord.”

We all have roads to travel and choices to make. We do not all see the world in the same way even those of us raised in similar environments—my sister and I, my husband and his siblings, who attended the same schools as I did growing up, those from my old neighborhood on North Oklahoma Avenue, my children and grandchildren. We are all great examples of that truth. Patricia Cranton writes, “The way we see the world is a product of our knowledge about the world, our cultural background and language, our psychological nature, our moral and ethical views, the religious doctrine or worldview we subscribe to, and the way we see beauty. Each perspective is made up of interwoven beliefs, values, feelings, and assumptions that together create the lens through which we see the world and form the basis for our actions in the world.” (Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning, p. 28) Our perspective and our worldview change considerably when we discover the truth of who we are. That does not come from our asking “Who am I? or “Why am I here?” Rather, it comes from our asking “Who am I in Christ Jesus?” “What is God’s purpose and plan for my life?”

Finding those answers can take us on a rather long journey, a journey that serves us best when we do not jump on every bandwagon that happens by taking us into a world of created realities and subjective truths. Absolute truth is out there. When we go in search of it, we learn as Cranton further writes, “Habits of mind are uncritically absorbed from our family, community and culture. They tend to remain unquestioned unless we encounter an alternative perspective that we cannot ignore.” (p. 28, emphasis mine) There are many things I do not know or understand, but I can say with great certainty getting stuck is not better than moving forward even if it requires that we slog through some mud. Looking into the unquestioned and unexamined pieces of our lives can be laborious and painful—the ups, the downs, the detours, the side trips, the dirt, the mud, our mistakes, our choices, our sins—through it all God's Word is true, His promises real, and the turn-around worth Every. Single. Mile.

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