Walking Together

A man and his son went walking down a trail one day. The son was little and so the father held his hand as they walked. The trail was narrow and the edges were dangerous for a young child. Poisonous plants, thorns, snakes, tree roots and rocks could spell disaster for his young son so the father, being good, held tight. The son was happy as they walked but every few steps the child would point out something off the trail that would catch his eye. The father would acknowledge his son's curiosity and tell him what he saw. The journey continued as they came upon a large stand of flowers a few feet from the trail. The son saw them as they approached and pointed. Flowers, said the father, aren't they beautiful. The son thought so too but instead of being happy observing them from a distance, he pulled at his father's hand and tried to go towards them. The father pulled back gently and said no. The son listened and they continued. Around the corner as they kept walking, was another stand of flowers but it was bigger and brighter looking. As soon as they were in view, the Son began to run ahead to see but the father held his grip and kept his son from running off. When they reached the flowers, knowing they would be a temptation, the father kept walking as the son pulled to stay behind to see. The father pulled harder to correct his son and raised his voice, I said no. The son was mad then and as they walked, it was the father holding on to the son and the son's hand and arm was limp. They continued and the Son would  pulled further away, instead of walking by his father's side, he was walking towards the edge of the trail. The son, in his frustration though, would trip on or catch a rock or branch at the edge and stumble. The father would always pull on him just hard enough to keep him from falling. The son was even more frustrated as he felt he was being treated poorly. The father kept walking. They struggled for a long while until they reached something else that caught the son's attention. The son pulled and instead of the father continuing to walk, he stopped. The child strained at his father's hand wanting to be set free. The father paused a moment then let the child go. At first the child stopped then turned to see why the father let go. His father's eyes gazed down on the child. Recently released from his restraints, he moved closer to the edge of the trail while waiting for his father to say something but the father just watched. The child took one foot and stepped off the path then two. He now stood in weeds up to his hip about a couple feet tall. He waited for his dad to say something but he said nothing. The kid then turned to the reason he struggled for, berries. A few feet off the path was a bush of blackberries and he knew he loved them. His dad would get them for him all the time. This time he could get his own. His joy overwhelmed him as he approached the vines. Big juicy blackberries were everywhere and he was ready to eat. The child grabbed the first few within reach and turned to look. His dad hadn't moved or said a word. He shoved them in and the juice exploded filling up his mouth with sweetness. He grabbed another then another taking everyone in reach. Before long though, he had picked all the ones he could reach and only those deep within the vines and above him remained. His appetite and his new found freedom overran his father's past warnings and he reached inwards to grab more. His small hands navigated the vines easily but as he pulled back with berries in hand, his clothes got snagged on a thorn and wouldn't let go. The child panicked and jerked his arm. Several nearby vines grabbed at his clothes then pierced his hand. The boy screamed in pain as the vines seemed to come from all over to consume his arm. He struggled more but the thorns dug deeper. He stopped, realizing that his struggles caused more pain than it helped. He stood there crying and sobbing as thorns pricked through his clothes. Blood began to flow from his hand and mix with the juice of the squeezed berries. He cried for a moment in pain and frustration then he heard his father's voice. It was his familiar comforting voice that would always calm him down when he got upset about something. His sobs lessened. Hey bud, you got yourself in a situation there don't you. The child now had to admit his faults. Through tears he managed a quiet yes. Do you want me to come and get you?

For Him to admit defeat was worse than the pain he thought. At that question, in order to save his dignity, he tried to pull free, this time with control and ease. However, because of His earlier panic, he had gotten hung up really good. His other arm wasn't able to free him as he knew it would get stabbed trying. So, he twisted and turned and twisted again trying to free himself. It didn't work though. His father said again, you want help? 

The son had no choice but to ask for help. A quick nod in agreement was followed by the crunching of footsteps. He hung his head low in shame knowing full well his disobedience caused this mess. His father came and removed the vines with ease then picked up the son and placed him back on the path. The child's hands were tended to as well. The father had not said a word and neither did the son while he was helping with the cuts. After everything was mended, the father knelt next to his son and said, did you learn your lesson? The son, full of shame, nodded. The father guided his sons chin and pulled it up so he could see his eyes. "I restrain you because I know you do not yet have the ability to do things on your own. If you would have asked, I would have gotten the berries for you and would have been able to reach more for you. If I tell you no at the time you ask, you just have to trust me and believe that I have your best interest at heart. Do you understand this?" The boy with tears in his eyes said yes then hugged his father. "I love you buddy and the pain you experienced today I have felt before. I'm not mad at you, just listen and obey me next time please." 

Their journey continued. The father no longer held on to his sons hand but the son was following very close by. The son would stop to look at something and the father would slow to let him catch up but the son never left the path. The son was curious and often stopped but never left the path until he saw another path. The father kept walking on the narrow path but there was a wider path that branched off. It was wide and paved and easy. The weeds were trimmed and the view was better. There were small benches placed every so often so you could sit and rest. This path had lots of people walking on it. The son veered towards the easy path expecting the father to follow him but the father stood on the narrow path. You do not want to go that way son, it's not the path for you. The son was confused, why would his father want him to walk on the hard path that goes up mountains and down valleys when there's a path that's much easier. The son was confused and hesitated for a long while. The son spoke with a few of the people he saw and they really loved the easy path. The son stood conflicted but remembered the father's words, trust me. So, with a saddened heart the son left the easy path behind and followed on with his father. The noise of the easy path echoed through the woods as their path was parallel to it. Climbing up steep mountains, the son could look down into the valley and see the path and a large city it went through. The son had regrets as he was tired and worn. 

Over the years as the son grew, he became appreciative of the narrow path and was used to the rough terrain it went over. He had walked with his father so much that he knew the path very well and the temptations it held and the struggles it held had no effect on him anymore. The son had grown up to look like the father in so many ways. The father was proud of his son and was very pleased in him. One day, they sat at the top of the mountain and looked down at the valley where the city was. The father said, "They look up at this mountain and call my name, they work to make things in my name and they give things in my name yet they are far from me." The son looked down, "They want to know me but they refuse to walk with me like you chose to do. The road is harder and requires more but I was with you the whole way, guiding you and giving you strength to continue. They do not want to be up here with me because it requires something of them." The son asked, "Could I go down to them and show them the path we chose?" The father thought a minute, "Some will follow, some will not, some will be angry at you and some will try to murder you. They have become so engrained in their lifestyle that they won't listen to reason or accept your words." The son thought as well and tears welled up in his eyes. "Those that will come, do they not deserve that chance. If I don't go and tell them, they will go on living without knowing you." The father said, "Go then and try to convince them, I will wait here for your return." 

That day, the father sent his son, knowing full well what was about to happen to him. Yet he sent him anyway. He loved his son and he knew his son would obey him as he always did. The father waited and watched and cried the day they killed him. It wasn't their fault though. Darkness had covered their eyes and even though they had the light of his son dwelling amongst them, they loved the darkness. The father sent a messenger down to his grave and called him home and as always, the son obeyed the father. They sat their talking about his visit and those he had influenced. They talked about how they needed more training and guidance. So they decided to give those that obeyed a gift. They fashioned the gift from their love and packaged it with care and the son went back down to deliver it to them. They were overjoyed with the gift and were told to share the good news of the narrow path and to share the gift as well. 

As the father and son watched from the mountain top, the valley below transformed over the years. Wars were fought and time passed. The original message of the path was corrupted and the gift was misused for selfish purposes. Yet they loved them all the same. Very few people found the path and walked on it. Very few trusted the father and the son. Very few came to visit them. The path, even though they had the gift to light the way, was found too difficult for most, as the ease of the wide path overpowered the cost of the narrow way. Time went by and the son and father prepared for something new. They prepared to live amongst the people. If they don't come to us, we will come to them they thought. We will rebuild the landscape to be flat. We will fill in the valley and tear down the mountain and they will be able to live with us. We will build a giant city filled with lights. We will show them our love for them and then they will all come. So, they planned for centuries. When the time comes to transform everything, the land will experience tremendous upheaval as we tear down the old and build the new. People will flee in fear and they will curse our name but we must do this for their own good. If we don't do this, they will all fall into darkness and never return. Both of them agreed and the construction began. 

When the dust settled over the land and the shinning city had been built, the son and father came to live amongst the people that remained. They taught them and nurtured them in the father's ways and the people were happy. One day, the son thought back to that time when he had the choice to follow or to be like the ones on the easy path. He was glad he chose to follow his father and trust him. He looked at the people that lived among them and was thankful he did what he did. He loved them and they loved him and was grateful for what he did. 

This is not about who you think it's about. This story is about you. You have the same choice before you. Which do you choose?

Glory to God, Always!