the narrow road.

I have been praying a lot recently about serving. What is my ministry? And within days a good friend of mine approached me with this program called "Pearls" to mentor to young girls about purity - not only saving yourself for marriage but remaining pure through dating.

My heart immediately responded. Yes! This is something I am so passionate about, something that has been a huge part of my life, something I so desperately want to share with other girls who are just starting to navigate the world of boys, dating, and relationships.

I couldn't wait to dive in and read through this book and get my own ideas going about the topics discussed. And shortly into it, I read this passage. It's a girl's dream that the author of "Pearls" said she believes is from the Lord.

I couldn't agree more.

She dreamt she was standing at a fork in the road and knew she’d have to decide which road to take – the narrow or the wide one. She looked down the narrow road and knew it led to what looked like heaven. The narrow road wasn’t what you would expect; it wasn’t difficult, with steep cliffs or rock. But it was narrow and long. Also, she didn’t see any others on the road. She knew that if she went that way her trip would resemble a marathon.

The other road was very wide and looked easy to travel. And there were many, many people going down it. One thing she noticed about them was that they were all beautiful and were laughing and having a wonderful time. But in the distance she could see the final destination of this road also - and undoubtedly it was hell.

She decided just to start down the wide road to see what it was like. At first, as she began to run among the beautiful masses, all seemed to be well. Then she tripped and fell, and the unbelievably sharp rocks tore her skin. She looked up to see if there was anyone who would help her, and was shocked to discover that all of the attractive, happy people had become repulsive and grotesque creatures. And they were all laughing at her. Fear overwhelmed her and she ran back to the fork.

Once at the fork, she decided to venture down the narrow road. There was no one joining her on the journey and she felt lonely. As she began to run, she would often stumble and fall. It was an entirely different experience, however, than her falls on the wide road. The rocks, though they hurt, were not nearly as sharp. And when she fell on the narrow road, someone gently picked her up and whispered, “Keep going.” Every time she stumbled the same thing would happen; also, each time she got up, she found she could run a little more swiftly than before. The further she traveled, the more people began to join her - her friends and family. They were cheering her on - encouraging her to finish the race.

Wow. How beautiful.

I read this story and it immediately reduced me to sobs. How often do I feel this way? That this path is lonely? So incredibly lonely sometimes. 

And not just in remaining pure, but in every area of life.

This dream is about a metaphor for the narrow road we walk as Christians, every day, in all things.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and may enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it."- Matthew 7:13-14

The part of the dream that really made me cry was the part where "someone" gently picks her up and whispers, 'Keep going.' So many times I have found myself face down on the dusty path - remorseful in decisions I have made, frustrated and impatient in waiting, on my knees in prayer asking the Lord to show up.

And he always does. The Lord always shows up. He picks me up, dusts me off, and gives me a renewed strength to go on - to fight the good fight, to finish the race, to keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). 

Living by this world's standards may seem easy, may seem harmless, may seem right. But in the end that road leads to death.

"There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death." - Proverbs 14:12

Living by Christ's standards may seem long, may seem hard, may seem lonely. But we have a Savior who is there by our side on that road, who picks us up when we fall, who carries us when we can no longer walk.

"I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." - Isaiah 46:4