by Finding that I could no longer stare as many around me seemed to disappear, I decided that it was finally time to see where these people were all going. I mean, it didn’t make sense that someone standing right next to me seemed to disappear right before my eyes without a trace. I had been walking this way for a long time, for as long as I can remember. No, I’m not quite sure where it leads, but I think that it’s about time I find out.
“Excuse me?” I turned to the guy on my left. “Just where does this path go?”
“I don’t know, I’ve been going this way for a long time! I hope to find out where it leads soon.” The man answered.
“I’ve just been wondering where all these people have been disappearing to. I mean, just yesterday there was this girl to my right. She looked healthy and all–”
“Sorry, don’t have a clue. Perhaps you could try that guy over there.” The man pointed across the way to another man. I thanked him, and decided to go over to the man.
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Yes, lad?”
“Do you know where we are headed?”
“Well, some say that it’s a great party that we’re going to. Others say that it’s really hot. Still others don’t think that we ever quite get there.”
“Really?! What about all these people that keep disappearing? I mean, there was this girl on my right–”
“No one really likes to talk about the disappearances. Some think that they are taken back to the beginning of the road. Some think that they get taken to the party, or whatever is at the end. Some just
think that they vanish from existence.”
“Oh. Is that why no one talks about it?”
“No one knows, son.”
“Certainly someone must know, for I was shown this road by my parents, and theirs before them. In fact, if you look closely you can see them way up ahead of us.” I said, pointing.
“Don’t know what to tell you, son. I can only tell you what I’ve heard, which is only bits and pieces from here and there.” The man shrugged his shoulders. “I guess we could walk a little faster and see what’s up
ahead.”
“No thanks. I think that I’ll just stay at this pace.” I replied. The man started to walk faster and I noticed
someone poking her head through the leaves. It was that girl that was walking to my right. “There you are! I thought that you had disappeared. Where did you go?”
“Some one snuck out of these woods and asked me a few questions.” She replied.
“Like what?”
“Whether I knew what was at the end of the road.”
“Did you?”
“No, not then.”
“You mean that you do now?”
“Well, yes! It was all explained to me.”
“Tell me, what is at the end of the road.”
“The end of the road is the end of your life as you know it.”
“Really? Is that the party?”
“Not with the direction that you are walking!”
“Why, where does this go?”
“That way leads to the big furnace.”
“If that’s so, why doesn’t everyone leave this road?”
“Well, some don’t know it’s there, others don’t think it’s real, still others are more concerned about not falling and scraping their knee, or how tired they are to think about what is at the end.”
“How do I get off this road?”
“Well, there is a high price to pay for getting off.”
“Really, what’s that?”
“Your life.”
“Whoa.”
“Fortunately, One paid the price in your place. You must believe on Him, and give your life to Him.”
“Can I do it right now?”
“Now’s the best time.” I couldn’t believe it. I was headed on a road to destruction, yet there was one way of escape. I turned to look for people around me. Some were saying that the girl was crazy. Others were just blocking her out. I looked again to where she was standing. “If you will come, He says, follow me. It is His will that all should follow Him.”
“Will that mean that I must surrender my will?”
“Trust and follow Him. It’s the only way.” She looked into my eyes, and it almost looked as if she would cry. I decided that I would follow this one that she told me about, for if she were right I would die in a furnace, though one had already paid the price for choosing my own will.
Christian, are you leading others to follow His will? Are you showing a Christ-like example of self-denial. Are you sharing the Good News that Christ has made it so that we don’t have to bear the punishment of our sins? There are people out there that do not know about Him, and need Him so desperately. There are also those out there that need to hear it again. Follow His will in all that you do, so that His face may come shining through!
