By Synthia Esther

When  we cry tears flow and our heart grows stronger or weaker  depending  upon the justification we give our pain. With our tears we  baptize our  choices. We can take each experience offering forgiveness  and grow like  wild flowers in an open field drenched in sunlight and  bathed with  rain from heaven above, or we can wallow in the depths of  bitterness,  pain and sorrow scorched by the sun, withering in the dust  of our  personal deserts. It is all a daily choice we must face and  endure.  With choices made we each begin a journey.

I reflected on my own journey and the  proverbial fork in the road.  Control or sacrifice, the signs with  pointed arrows boldly declared.  The roadway leading to the Land of  Control looked clear, bright and  easy, as far as the eye could see. The  air was calm and the blue sky  clear. The road leading to the Land of  Sacrifice appeared to be less  trodden and was filled with valleys,  rock, and debris. Weeds and tall  grass bordered its pathways. The wind  whistled and blew like the desert  wind with bits of sand that stung and  blistered my face. The proverbial  question in my mind? Do I take the  path of least resistance, or the  road less traveled? The less traveled  road looked hard and uncertain to  the conscious eyes of approval. 

I was still learning to trust my faith in God  and I immediately  took the roadway to the Land of Control only to  discover it ended  abruptly on a high mountainous cliff. The dead-end  forced me to turn  back remembering the steps I had taken. Once again I  came face to face  with the fork in the road. This time I walked the  uncertain, less  trodden path way to the Land of Sacrifice. My journey  was rough and  turbulent. I tripped over rocks, cut and bruised my body,  fell into  deep valleys and pits while struggling along the rough  terrain. With  eyes closed I would say a prayer of faith and listen to  my heart to  guide me. My prayer's lifted my mask of fear and denial as I  continued  onward with courage and strength. Often times my walk was  slow and  progress minimal. At times I grew faint and weary. But my past   experiences had taught me to say a prayer to God in my wilderness when   tempted to curse my existence. 

  I developed courage through the pain of experience and by faith I   was impelled onward. I looked back and a sense of accomplishment filled   my spirit as I saw the progress I had made. I began to notice the   pathway was clearing and the roadway straight. Even the signs pointing   the way to the Land of Sacrifice had changed to point the way to a   place called the Land of Serenity. The rocks and debris had been   replaced with the fragrance and beauty of lush flowers and blossoming   trees. The aroma sweet and fresh to the senses. As I breathed deeply to   enjoy its splendor, I experienced a sense of peace that was all   encompassing. 

  Another sign read; "This Way To The Land Of Serenity." In the   distance I saw a man walking towards me waving his hand in a welcoming   gesture. We met and his smile broadened with eyes turned upward as if   his whole face was smiling. His entire being radiated a sense of   assurance, strength and comfort. He hugged me as if he'd known me all   my life. "Welcome," his voice was strong and powerful, yet serene and   caring. " I am so glad you are here, there are many people waiting to   see you. How was your trip?" I replied complaining in anguish,   "Terrible, the roadway was rough, then all of a sudden when I thought I   couldn't walk another step the terrain turned clear and easy. Do I know   you? How did you know I was going to be here?" He replies with   confident assurance, "We have a book that has every name written in it,   of every resident who lives here. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.   I will be glad to answer any of them for you." His face shined with a   reflection of love, care and concern. His eyes seemed to look right   through me as if he knew how difficult my journey had been.

Puzzled I asked, "How do you know me? Have we  meet before?" Softly  he answered, "Yes, we've met before. Shall we go?"  He points to walk  onward. Once again he smiled. This time his face  showed a sense of  compassion. His hand touched my shoulder and in an  instant I felt more  love than I had ever been shown or experienced in  my entire life. I  sensed a connection from deep with in my heart unlike  any other in my  lifetime. As we walked together I started to speak and  ask him how he  knew all about me, about my journey, my trials and  tribulations, but  before I could utter a word I knew he "felt" my  questions. His spirit  bare witness with mine. He spoke to my spirit...  "I know about your  difficult journey to the Land of Sacrifice because I  walked it with  you. It was I who planned your itinerary. I knew you  would take the  road to the Land of Control first...most people do."

Once again he looked at me and at once I felt  peaceful and at  ease. He spoke with compassion as he continued, " so I  devised and made  the cliff that was your dead end. I provided you such a  journey to make  sure you would arrive here. However, it was you who  determined if you  would begin the journey, how long the trip would take  and how rough  your roadways would become. I never took away your free  will nor your  freedom to choose. Everyone has their own journey.  Everyone has their  own hardships leading to and through their path of  experiences." 

He paused and allowed me to recount my journey  in life. I  remembered my experiences as cause and effect, for it was my   experiences in life that had brought me to and through the Land of   Sacrifice. In reflection I realized the most important sacrifice I had   made was simply to surrender my fear. I wondered if everyone on earth   had to go through these difficult cause and effect learning   experiences. He went on to explain, "For some their journey homeward   includes difficult battles, disease, giants, trials and tribulations of   major proportion, as well as unseen principalities and powers. Their   dead end may have been an endless body of water to cross, or a fire so   intense the heat could be felt for miles. 

Everyone has warnings. I left a plan of  instructions, the Bible,  unfortunately many never look upon its pages. I  am glad you did, for it  drew you near to me. Everyone has signs that  point them in the right  direction. But many times people are too busy  fighting their inner  demons, or their fear covers up the signs of  direction and they never  see them. It is by faith that your path clears  and the signs are  visible. Your faith does the work towards the path  way to spiritual  transformation, renewal, trust and progress. Without  faith it is  impossible to arrive. Faith is always a catalyst to change.  Those who  choose the opposite faculties of control, doubt, negativity  and fear in  life, do not heed the dead end or the many warnings. It is  then that  they end up for eternity in the "Land of Endless Self  Destruction". As  we were still walking I pondered the idea of an  eternity of endless  self destruction. That sounded like Hell to me. He  immediately  replied...".It is."

It was at this time that I noticed a very large  white sign with  the words, "WELCOME TO THE LAND OF ETERNAL SERENITY,"  written in big,  bold red letters. Underneath and in smaller print was  written, "All  your taxes and penalties have been paid." I turned and  looked into his  eyes as a deep sense of gratitude overwhelmed me. Tears  ran down my  checks, my voice cracked with emotion as I tried to speak,  "I do know  you. No ones journey or cross to bear held such unbearable  weight, nor  was as difficult as yours. It was you who paid the taxes  and penalties  of sin for all humanity. It is because of your loving  sacrifice, that I  am here... in Heaven, the land of eternal serenity."  

Falling at his  feet I declared with thankful tears of joy. "You are the  Messiah, Jesus  Christ,  my blessed Holy Savior and friend. By your loving kindness you  saved  my life. By your mercy and grace you planned my life's journey,   shinning light in the darkness. How can I ever repay you? How can I   ever show my humble gratitude and thanks?" With a soft smile he   whispered to my spirit, "My thanks has come by your arrival." Now   basking in the majestic glory of His loving presence, and the bliss of   peace and joy in the Land of Eternal Serenity, I was thank-full for my   God ordained sacred journey home. 

                       John 14:1-6, "Do not  let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust  also in me. (2) In my  Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so,  I would have told  you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. (3)  And if I go and  prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you  to be with me  that you also may be where I am. (4) You know the way to  the place  where I am going." (5) Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't  know where  you are going, so how can we know the way?" (6) Jesus  answered, "I am  the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the  Father except  through me."

                       John 3:16-21, "For God  so loved the world that he gave his one and only  Son, that whoever  believes in him shall not perish but have eternal  life. (17) For God  did not send his son into the world to condemn the  world, but to save  the world through him. (18) Whoever believes in him  is not condemned,  but whoever does not believe stands condemned already  because he has  not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (19)  This is the  verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved  darkness instead  of light because their deeds were evil. (20) Everyone  who does evil  hates the light, and will not come into the light for  fear that his  deeds will be exposed. (21) But whoever lives by the  truth comes into  the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he  has done has  been done through God."