Dead End
The directions seemed clear enough; make a right at the stop sign, a left at the second light, and my destination would be the third building on the left. What could possibly go wrong with this? I gave myself plenty of time to make sure that in the unlikely event I made a wrong turn I would have time to correct my course. I made the right at the stop sign as instructed and went through the first light, but never seemed to find the second light. With anxiety mounting, I finally came to the conclusion that something was out of order. Backtracking my course I discovered I had made a not-so-wise decision to turn on a one-way street that I calculated to be a short cut. Then the sign appeared - DEAD END. I knew I was lost.
How often life is the same set of circumstances? We have the guidance of Sacred Scripture, yet in our confusion we miss something in the translation. Instead of compassion, we invoke anger; instead of love, we turn to hatred; or when faced with a decision to do right or wrong, we make no decision at all. Finally, when life is in chaos, we find ourselves on the one-way street and the sign appears that says DEAD END. Take a look at the street you are on and see what the sign says. Is it Desperation Road, Crisis Avenue, Envy Street, or Lust Boulevard? All of these can lead to a dead end if you do not stop soon enough and ask directions.
When you give directions to friend or family, are you sending them the wrong way? Do you steer people away from the dead-end street or to it? The truth is that we are all guilty of making wrong turns in life and we all give out poor directions at times. The grace is that it is never too late to turn around and get off the dead-end street. Today I am asking you to cross the threshold of despair into the land of hope and to give thought to the direction you are leading yourself and others. Our minds are a manifestation of input that comes at us constantly from all angles. Once our mind is trained, it begins to stimulate our heart. If our mind is heading in the wrong direction, then too our heart is being led to a dead-end road. Protect not only the heart and mind that resides in you, but also the same in others.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, every dead-end road can be cleared and every course can be charted. If you have closed the Lord out of your life, start today by allowing him back in. Let the mind be the road to the heart and the heart will purify the soul and when you look up next time the street sign will say Salvation Street alive ahead.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
peace and grace to you
Dale Childress
How often life is the same set of circumstances? We have the guidance of Sacred Scripture, yet in our confusion we miss something in the translation. Instead of compassion, we invoke anger; instead of love, we turn to hatred; or when faced with a decision to do right or wrong, we make no decision at all. Finally, when life is in chaos, we find ourselves on the one-way street and the sign appears that says DEAD END. Take a look at the street you are on and see what the sign says. Is it Desperation Road, Crisis Avenue, Envy Street, or Lust Boulevard? All of these can lead to a dead end if you do not stop soon enough and ask directions.
When you give directions to friend or family, are you sending them the wrong way? Do you steer people away from the dead-end street or to it? The truth is that we are all guilty of making wrong turns in life and we all give out poor directions at times. The grace is that it is never too late to turn around and get off the dead-end street. Today I am asking you to cross the threshold of despair into the land of hope and to give thought to the direction you are leading yourself and others. Our minds are a manifestation of input that comes at us constantly from all angles. Once our mind is trained, it begins to stimulate our heart. If our mind is heading in the wrong direction, then too our heart is being led to a dead-end road. Protect not only the heart and mind that resides in you, but also the same in others.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, every dead-end road can be cleared and every course can be charted. If you have closed the Lord out of your life, start today by allowing him back in. Let the mind be the road to the heart and the heart will purify the soul and when you look up next time the street sign will say Salvation Street alive ahead.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
peace and grace to you
Dale Childress
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