The Road
Walking along the side of the country road on a clear summer day, I was returning home after playing at a friend's house. There was no sidewalk, of course, so I had to carefully make my way between the road on one side and the deep ditch on the other. I was about 9 and reveling in the freedom of being old enough to walk home by myself. It was not a heavily traveled road, so when I heard a car coming, I took notice. It was a large, white car driven by a middle aged woman. She slowed down as she approached me, and then stopped to talk to me. She asked where I was going, and I told her I was headed home. She asked me if I wanted a ride, and I declined. But she insisted that she could give me a ride home and opened the passenger door to convince me to get in. I don't ever remember my parents drilling me in "stranger danger" but something didn't seem right to me, so I declined again. I began walking again, and she let her car creep along beside me asking again if I was sure I didn't need a ride. Suddenly, she closed the car door, and drove off. I don't know if something spooked her or if she just gave up. I don't know if she was trying to be helpful or if she was trying to kidnap me. But if the hair is up on the back of your neck just reading this, as mine is whenever I remember this, I'm guessing the latter. I think of that day from time to time, especially now that some of my kids are old enough to play in the neighborhood. The question that always come to mind is: "What if I had gotten in the car?"
We face decisions almost daily in our lives, mostly little ones; and sometimes we are faced with big decisions. Sometimes, we don't know at the time how important a particular decision is until later, maybe years later. I have made some significant choices in my life, such as where to go to college, or where to live, or whom to marry, but none of those were a matter of life or death. And, really not many people, barring those in the military, law enforcement or medicine are making life or death decisions very often. But choosing to not get in a stranger's car could be safely called a life-saving choice.
I can think of only one other life-changing, life-saving decision I have made in my life: following Christ. For the first 25 years of my life, I was on a dead-end road, reveling in my freedom to do whatever I chose to do. I made my way recklessly, paying no heed to the danger all around me; and I was in good company, for this was a well traveled highway. About 21 years ago, while heading down this road, Christ pulled up along side of me, in a car, so to speak, and asked me to get in. This time I didn't hesitate, this time it felt right, and I got in. And the question that comes to my mind often is: "What if I had not gotten in the car?"
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Robert Frost
We face decisions almost daily in our lives, mostly little ones; and sometimes we are faced with big decisions. Sometimes, we don't know at the time how important a particular decision is until later, maybe years later. I have made some significant choices in my life, such as where to go to college, or where to live, or whom to marry, but none of those were a matter of life or death. And, really not many people, barring those in the military, law enforcement or medicine are making life or death decisions very often. But choosing to not get in a stranger's car could be safely called a life-saving choice.
I can think of only one other life-changing, life-saving decision I have made in my life: following Christ. For the first 25 years of my life, I was on a dead-end road, reveling in my freedom to do whatever I chose to do. I made my way recklessly, paying no heed to the danger all around me; and I was in good company, for this was a well traveled highway. About 21 years ago, while heading down this road, Christ pulled up along side of me, in a car, so to speak, and asked me to get in. This time I didn't hesitate, this time it felt right, and I got in. And the question that comes to my mind often is: "What if I had not gotten in the car?"
"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Robert Frost
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