Sometimes I feel just like her, following my own yellow brick road. Dorothy did it to find a heart, a brain, her home. My whole life I have been on this yellow brick road, leading me to what I hope is my destiny. Brick by brick, step by step, I am careful not to veer to the left or to the right, walking cautiously so as not to lose sight of my goal. The Emerald City I have been searching for endlessly is that place where I will be totally and completely living up to my full potential and thus glorifying God with all that I am. Thomas Merton once wrote that a tree glorifies God simply by being a tree. So in my process to seek to glorify God with all that I am, I have begun a journey to put myself where I will thrive. I want to use the gifts God has given me to the fullest measure.Over the past years I have gotten to know myself well. I know that when I am up in front of people, challenging them, teaching them new things, helping them grow, I feel alive. I have found my niche—but I haven’t quite made it there yet. That dream world is my Emerald City. That is the place where I hope to find my fulfillment—which means that all along the way I am never quite satisfied. I’m not fully content because I have yet to arrive at my destination. I recently sold my car, quit my good job, left my family and friends and moved to England to follow a dream that may eventually lead me to my Emerald City. In the process of finding my niche in life, one would think everything would be bliss.
The truth is, I never seem to be satisfied. I think that maybe when I get married—another thing that lies in my Emerald City—then my life will be bliss. Maybe then I will be fully satisfied. Then I will have my career, my soul mate; that’s when everything will be wonderful every second of the day ... right?
But if I am not happy now, if I am not content in my present situation, will a new career or a relationship really change anything for me at a heart level? If I can’t rest in Jesus now, more responsibility or a more complex relationship isn’t going to change that. Even as I travel toward my dreams, I need to realize that the fulfillment of my dreams can’t be my source of contentment. Jesus must be.
Wherever I go, there I am. Even when I have reached my goals, there will always more to shoot for. I have to actively pursue those dreams God’s given me. But I can’t rest my hope or contentment in those things that are ever-changing. The destination of my journey not only ends in God; it also begins and continues in Him. He is not only the direction in which I should go; He is also the road.
Recently I began to see John 14:6 (NIV) in a whole new way. It’s the famous “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” verse that I have heard so many times. Jesus is the Way; He’s not just the abundant life I so dearly want. He’s not just the end result, the Wizard of Oz waiting for me in the Emerald City to meet all my needs. He’s also that yellow brick road. He is before, behind and beside me. As we struggle through difficult life decisions while moving forward toward our dreams, may we always look to Jesus as our Way. May He not only direct our paths, but may He also be our true Source of contentment all along the way.
Article can be found on Radiant's website
2 comments:
On the way... that road.
Before we even get to the end of this article, it sure sounds like you are both found and founded on the road. Interesting perspective, before I viewed the way as a means of going about it, now I see it could also be viewed as path to proceed upon.
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