At A Crossroad

My childhood home sat at the top of a hill on a narrow street in a small suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was one of the coolest homes ever ... at least it was to me. Gazing at the beautiful autumn leaves on the mountain visible from the kitchen window, stretching out on a blanket on the lush grass under the 100-year-old oak tree in the back yard to read a book, climbing onto the roof of the garage to sneak a peek at the current movie playing at the drive-in theater down the hill ... I am blessed with many happy memories from my growing-up years in that home.

The road to the house ran from the bottom of the hill to the top, and about midway, there was a crossroad that ran horizontal to Mom and Dad's street and through several other streets in the neighborhood. Years ago, there were no stop signs at the crossroad, and cars often sped through the intersection at a rapid speed. When I was a teenager, as my dad was coming home from work one day, his car was struck broadside by a car traveling at a high rate of speed. Dad was seriously injured and spent several weeks in the hospital recovering. I still recall the day he came home and how happy I was that he was finally back where he belonged. Most of all, I remember that evening listening to him talk about the accident.

It's amazing to me how at 50 years old, there are some memories from my childhood that are seared into my mind and heart ... some lessons that my parents taught me that I have carried with me all these years. I had been very angry with the young man who caused the accident and very aware that Dad could have been killed. When I vocalized that anger to Dad, he was quick to talk about forgiveness and then he said something that has recently come back to the forefront of my mind.

He said, "Terrie, there will always be crossroads in life. Sometimes you drive through them and stay on the road without a care in the world. Sometimes you stop for a bit and let someone else go in front of you. Sometimes something or someone comes speeding along and knocks you completely off the road, leaving you bleeding and hurt. It's those times, the tough ones, that teach you what you're made of, that make you know what you believe, that cause you to make the choice whether or not to get back on the road."

I think I may be at one of those crossroads in life ... a place where I've got some decisions and choices to make. A place where I run the risk of getting knocked off the road. A place where I could be left bleeding and hurt. A place where I may need to stop for a while and let someone else walk in front of me. A place that will, no doubt, teach me what I'm made of, cause me to know what I believe, determine the road I travel.

And even though I may be standing right smack dab in the middle of the crossroad, of one thing I'm sure ... all I really need to do is to keep my eyes on the true "cross" road and the One who walked it.