Looking at the road ahead

by kenpodragon 4 Replies latest jw friends

  • kenpodragon
    kenpodragon

    This last summer I was driving with my wife to Colorado to visit a national park we always read about. We had the bright idea of driving in the night, and avoiding traffic. As we looked at the map to plan our trip, we saw that we would be driving through a lot of territory with little or no towns along the way to stop at. What was only a half an inch on paper, was a hundreds miles behind the wheel and missing a exit or taking a wrong turn could take hours to notice. We drove through some of the darkest places I could ever imagine, and never saw any signs to the roads or towns we had read about, that should be ahead of us. It was a lonely feeling being on those roads, not knowing what was ahead or what was in store for us. I think that is the feeling I get in life sometimes as well. That things seem so planned out and easy to think about when we read about them on paper. Yet the days, weeks and years can sometimes seem like a dark and lonely journey when you have not been fully warned about what is ahead of you. For example, when I was a Witness I thought I was driving down the major interstate, with signs along the way and towns to stop at when ever I needed a break. Who would have thought that one day that road would come to a end, and suddenly I would fine myself in the middle of no where with no signs in sight to look at. Yet, the destination sign fifty miles back, said this was the road to paradise. We all drive on the road each day, and watch for the things that mean something to us. We see the sign that say, "warning construction ahead" and put on the brakes. As we see times in our life that the road needs a little work and a little rebuilding. We see signs that raise the speed limit, from just moving slowly to suddenly driving along at a pace that gets us to where we want quickly. In that life sometimes puts moments of smooth sailing ahead of us, and we enjoy those times, yet they pass to fast. In all of the roads miles, the signs just seem a little harder to find at times. It seemed when I was a Witness and I felt the end was near. I saw signs in my life that always seemed to appear, and they all seemed so clear. It was a news story, about something happening over seas. It was a problem happening in a persons life, perhaps a celebrity. It was this and it was that, but it all seemed to add up. Yet much like I said in the above paragraph, in the end, it did not take me to what it promised. After all this was the road to paradise, yet I would up in the middle of no where. So much like my journey to Colorado with my wife. I drove looking for signs, and hoping we did not make the wrong turn or get lost in the middle of no where. Yet in the end, we got there. Even if the roads did not have the lights that would have made the journey much easier. What advice can I offer to any who make such a journey? It's really something simple, but it is worth remembering. That is to make sure you have checked your eye site before moving in this life, so that the signs you are reading are saying what you are thinking. Make sure the road is not something leading to no where, with you being lost along the side somewhere wondering where you are and how you ever got there. Above all things, one wish I have for everyone. Is that, "no matter what road to drive on, I sure hope the road ahead has more lights for you to drive by." My thought Dragon

    Edited by - kenpodragon on 8 November 2002 1:52:50

  • Gopher
    Gopher

    I think a JW lurker might smirk at this and say, "aha! the apostates admit that they're driving in the dark with no idea where they're going !!"

    But in reality, you did have an overall idea of where you were going. You trusted your instincts, kept your wits about you , and you made it to the other side of Colorado where you needed to be.

    Likewise in our spiritual journey, we don't need a manmade religion such as JW's continually hounding us with signs (go here, go there, no don't go there, I meant over there!! I used to say go this way, but now I really mean go that way now, etc. etc. ad nauseum). The signs lead nowhere, as is the case with people like my faithful JW parents who have been told for 50 years that paradise is "just around the corner". Now they're 70 and 65 and facing the reality that their paradise is nowhere to be found. But they keep looking for the "signs" anyhow.

    God made us with a brain, we might as well use it to navigate our course through life.

    Edited by - Gopher on 8 November 2002 0:2:59

  • kelsey007
    kelsey007

    Dragon you have the life!

    The adventure I love in life is getting on the road that takes me to unknown places. God I hate over planning- Go for the gusto and experiment with life- forget the roadsigns, get outside the box and LIVE!!!!!!

  • kenpodragon
    kenpodragon
    "aha! the apostates admit that they're driving in the dark with no idea where they're going !!"

    Yes they would, unless they read the whole thread and realized that a road in light can often lead us to more problems then a road of darkness. I would rather find my own way, then have someone lead me to a canyon with no bridge. Of course, you know active Witnesses would find something negative to say about everything written on these pages. They just wont say anything, for fear that they learn their signs are written in invisible ink that changes after they pass to say their destination was the other direction.

    My thought

    Dragon

  • Beck_Melbourne
    Beck_Melbourne

    Hi Dragon

    I somehow missed this thread.

    I'm very appehensive about driving in the dark at any time....least of all in areas where I have never been before. Do you know how many fights we have had where one is driving and the other is navigating?? And that's during the day time when the sun is out and road signs are seen clearly...that's if the driver isn't driving 80kmph while you're trying to look for familiar street signs GGGRRRRRR!!!!

    But back to the dark....I wouldn't do it unless I were familiar with the road...and that's the same with life. If there are dark spots where I can't see the signs I need, then I don't go down that road. If I find myself in a dark spot then I get myself out real fast - I don't like dark spots, not just on the road but in life also.

    ~Beck~

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit