A short time ago, I wanted to visit a local attraction. I was almost sure that I knew the was there, but we decided to use Google Maps just for security. As we got close, Google Maps told us to make a right, onto a single lane road. I knew it was not the same road, but I felt that maybe it was a short cut, so we began out track down this country lane. It was not long before the country lane was a dirt road a car width wide. There were tons of ruts and steep drop off on each side that I feared damage to the vehicle or us.
When I had given up all hope of ever getting off the road, it ended abruptly leaving an area big enough to turn a small vehicle around. I did a quick turnaround happy to be getting off the poor excuse for a road. When I got home, I did some checking and found that what we had been driving was a trail, not a road. Feeling adventurous, we decided to go back and hike the trail since it was only about three miles one way.
On the return trip, as we pulled onto the trail so that we were parking off the road, we noticed a sign, “This road does not go to the Railroad Bridge.” I am not sure it was there the first time, but it was a good laugh.
We hiked about half way and then my daughter's hunger set in, so we turned around and walked back to the car. As we prepared to leave a forest ranger stopped to make sure we were ok and to tell us that this was not a drivable road. Really? Ya think? We laughed some more.
We had pulled onto the road; we noticed a car starting to pull down the trail that we had been driving on. I stopped, honked my horn to get her attention and told her not to go down that road. We talked, and I made sure she knew the right way to get there before I left her. I didn’t want her to make the mistake I made.
It caused me to think of other times when I was heading down a dead-end road about to mess my life up and I needed someone to say don’t go there, or that’s a bad life choice.
Often, we feel awkward, embarrassed.
Sometimes we tell ourselves that it’s not our problem;
it’s not our choice.
Often, the truth is, we don’t want to risk the friendship or ridicule that comes with involvement.
It’s true that the person may not listen to our warning or take our advice,
but that is the risk a real friend will take.
“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
I want to be a friend that will tell what others need to hear, not what they want to hear.
We all need a few friends who will say the "hard" things.
Today as we enter the Thanksgiving season, I am thankful for the friends who,
Are willing to tell me the truth even if it hurts;
who will lovingly correct,
reprove,
and encourage me in my spiritual life.
Many times, it was your words that kept me from going down a path that would lead to destruction
