Don’t Go There!

“This is the way; walk in it.” 

Isaiah 30:21

There is a well known poem by Robert Frost, which ends with : “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

In our life, we encounter many roads and paths. If we choose some roads, we travel with many people. Some are not so popular, and choosing to traverse them takes courage and determination. It is not uncommon today that when we stand up for what is right, we speak up against the majority, we get ridiculed and even lambasted. But how do we know if we are on the right path? How do we make sure we are making good decisions? 

If only God would walk beside us all day long and tell us, “This is the way; walk in it.” But in God’s goodness and wisdom, He allows us to choose. He allows us to make mistakes and thereby learn. But I believe that if we keep talking to Him throughout the day, asking Him to guide us in what to do, how to say things, where to go, what road to choose, we will eventually learn to hear Him say, “This is the way, walk in it.” I am very sure God brought me to my Christian community. It is as sure as if He said to me, “This is your community. Live their way of life.” I am also 100% confident that God chose Luigi for me. God is very creative in how He chooses to speak to us, and if we ask, we will receive His answers. 

Just as if we want to be proficient in calligraphy, we have to keep practicing, we have to “practice” listening to God. If we want to be a good singer, dancer, violinist, chef, financial analyst, doctor, etc., we have to put time and effort into learning and improving. Learning to listen to God is the same. We need to take the time to be quiet, to deliberately tune out the cacophony of the world, in order to hear His “still, small voice.” It is not easy. Some people struggle praying for 5 minutes. But what a blessed reward we receive when one day we hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” or even, “That is not the way! Don’t go there!”