REMNANTS FROM OZ

remnants from Oz

image courtesy of photobucket.com

“There are no shortcuts in this life.” Yeah, I heard it, but I didn’t believe it. I thought I might be able to figure it out even if others couldn’t. One of the problems with shortcuts is that the wrong road always takes us out of the way –  usually in the opposite direction.

Another problem with shortcuts is that the wrong roads or paths always seemed to be filled with dangers and pitfalls. There’s always a Big Bad Wolf out there looking for dinner. Those spiritual wolves feast on the souls of the lost land and everyone on the wrong path is lost, even if they know their final destination.

That free will is some good stuff boy… Right up until it’s time to face the consequences of a bad decision, a wrong path chosen. After being out there on the wrong road and not winding up dead for a long time makes us pretty savvy characters. We begin to learn where the pitfalls are and where the Big Bad Wolves are hiding.

Ever notice that just like in the children’s story of Little Red Riding Hood the wolves are always in disguise? It’s difficult to tell Grandma from the Big Bad Wolf sometimes. We know the difference in Grandma and the Wolf’s features, different hair, eyes, ears, mouth, and teeth, but we walk in blinded by not our innocence, but our foolishness.

Often we desire so much the things to satisfy our flesh and mind that we overlook the obvious differences that wisdom shows us and danger hides behind. How often have we made a wrong turn in life only to think back in hindsight and realize we ignored all the signs? There always signs, we just have to be looking for them.

When we skip through life, or walk for us more mature travelers, with our head in the clouds, not giving any thoughts to the pitfalls and Big Bad Wolves, we’ll take the wrong turn every time. It is what we know of our Mighty Protector that changes the path we’re on, wherever it’s at, from wide, leading to death, to narrow and leading us home.

God is in the business of redemption. Even wrong choice after wrong choice, we can learn and use the experiences and change our lives from ignorance and shortcuts into wisdom and the right path. Whatever road we’ve chosen, however uncomfortable and ugly, can be transformed into the Yellow Brick Road, from another story you might recognize.

The road that leads to a mighty castle, to a place that grants wishes. A Being that transforms lives – saves souls, and He is no wizard. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That supernaturally lit road or path that God transforms from lost to found, from dust and wear to gems and light, calls us and lead us from the dark dangerous wilderness into His glorious Light.

When we get there, for the ones of us that choose His path, we’ll say with the same certainty,

There’s no place like Home… Excerpt from the remnants of oz