Your Way or the HIGHway

So I'm chilling in my motel room watching TV. HBO to be precise. Then I see cartoons. I like cartoons. Little Red Happy Coat? What the...? Oh! It's the Asian version of the American Version Riding in the Hood... I mean, Little Red Riding Hood.

Know the Story, right?

I'll be nice enough to share it with you, you know, to catch up with your childhood.

Riding in the Hood

the tale of

Little Red Riding Hood

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest. Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak, so everyone in the village called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One morning, Little Red Riding Hood asked her mother if she could go to visit her grandmother as it had been awhile since they'd seen each other. "That's a good idea", her mother said. So they packed a nice little basket for Little Red Riding Hood to take to her grandmother.

"Remember, go straight to Grandma's house," her mother cautioned. "Don't dawdle along the way and please don't talk to strangers! The woods are dangerous." "Don't worry, mommy," said Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll be careful.

"But when Little Red Riding Hood noticed some lovely flowers in the woods, she forgot her promise to her mother. She picked a few, watched the butterflies flit about for awhile, listened to the frogs croaking and then picked a few more. Little Red Riding Hood was enjoying the warm summer day so much, that she didn't notice a dark shadow approaching out of the forest behind her."

Is it me or does this sound familiar?

"Suddenly, the wolf appeared beside her. "What are you doing out here, little girl?" the wolf asked in a voice as friendly as he could muster. "I'm on my way to see my Grandma who lives through the forest, near the brook," Little Red Riding Hood replied. Then she realized how late she was and quickly excused herself, rushing down the path to her Grandma's house. The wolf, in the meantime, took a shortcut."

Shortcut. This story is too long.

"But Grandmother! What big ears you have," said Little Red Riding Hood as she edged closer to the bed. "The better to hear you with, my dear," replied the wolf. "But Grandmother! What big eyes you have," said Little Red Riding Hood. "The better to see you with, my dear," replied the wolf. "But Grandmother! What big teeth you have," said Little Red Riding Hood her voice quivering slightly. "The better to eat you with, my dear," roared the wolf and he leaped out of the bed and began to chase the little girl. Almost too late, Little Red Riding Hood realized that the person in the bed was not her Grandmother, but a hungry wolf. She ran across the room and through the door, shouting, "Help! Wolf!" as loudly as she could. A woodsman who was chopping logs nearby heard her cry and ran towards the cottage as fast as he could.

"Oh Grandma, I was so scared!" sobbed Little Red Riding Hood, "I'll never speak to strangers or dawdle in the forest again." "There, there, child. You've learned an important lesson. Thank goodness you shouted loud enough for this kind woodsman to hear you!" The woodsman knocked out the wolf and carried him deep into the forest where he wouldn't bother people any longer. Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother had a nice lunch and a long chat."

Seriously what possible lesson can we draw from such a childish story?

Proverbs 14

You may not know or realize it, but this is our story. My story. Your story. From the dawn of my existence God already laid out a road for me to follow, you know, the thing people call a purpose or something. . . . but like the protagonist, I started riding in the hood; I mean, I got distracted like Miss Riding Hood.

Peep this

I knew what my calling was ever since I was born. My mom made sure to repeat the story over and over again any opportunity she got. But I wasn't having that. I wanted to do my own thing, you know? If anyone could do anything it's God, and I was sure he would have used me in whatever way he wanted to, without my resistance, in whatever way I chose to go.

In other words, I thought I could "noticed some lovely flowers in the woods"... and "watched the butterflies flit about for awhile"... and "listen to the frogs croak"... Starting to make any sense?

In other words, instead of walking the path already paved for me, I went ahead and got a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Media Studies and Foreign Languages. Joint major. One of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. $40K+ a year. All that to say my way led me no way. Instead, I found myself face to face with the wolf.

Notice how Miss Riding Hood was so into what she was not supposed to be doing that she did not even notice with what she was talking to. Her mind was so out of place, that it did not click in her head: "What am I doing talking to a wolf?"

Once I found myself with a very costly degree and a very costly sum of student loans to pay back, it didn't click that doors were not opening for me because I was on the wrong road. Dudes, I spent months--almost a year--sitting at home. Jobless. Sitting on an expensive degree. I questioned and questioned and questioned. I became so frustrated that frustration could no longer frustrate a frustrated me. But it did not click.

I remember crying bitterly after I had spoken to my father on the phone the day I found out he turned his back on his family in preference for his preferred family. I cried. Bitterly. Bitterly. I cried. The entire time repeating one question: why me?

Like Riding in the Hood; excuse me, Little Red Riding Hood, my tears were an equivalent to her cry of wolf. By that time the wolf had not only devoured my family, my relationships; I was his next target. I am still his target. I am very sure that my tears fell up to heaven and almost instantly "A woodsman who was chopping logs nearby heard [my] cry and ran towards" me.

Notice that Jesus was a carpenter, a man who dealt with wood professionally. It's no coincidence. Jesus. He ran to my rescue. Not walked. Not FedExd. Not text'd. Ran. When he tasted my tears and realized how bitter they were, he did not send someone on his behalf, but ran personally towards me. Glory! and he does the same, can do the same, will do the same for you.

At first it didn't click. But I later realized that the logs that certain woodsman was chopping

were for a bridge to lead me from where I thought I should have been to where I was
meant to be. To where I am.

And that wolf... Well, he's already defeated, and will be put in a place where he will no longer, eternally not ever, bother anyone again. Guaranteed!

Where you at?

Walking down your road

or

your own road?

"There is a way that seems right to a man,

but its end is the way to death." Proverbs 14:12

Any doubts on which way is the right way. . .

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way..." John 14:6


Enjoy this song by MercyMe "Where You Lead Me"