I have had two Robert Frost poems in the back of my head all week long. Both I read many decades ago in my extra High School literature courses.
I left Edmonton with my wife Pam last Sunday afternoon. This was so we could go through Calgary where she grew up for a number of years. Her next oldest sister and brother-in-law still live there and she would spend the week with them until I came back. Then I would go on to Canmore alone to be in time for my course that started at 8:30 Monday morning. The warning signs of trouble began at Olds. Ice on the shoulders and a bit in the lanes slowed us somewhat. Fine. Carstairs to Calgary was unique. Frozen slush and ice greeted us as we dropped speed to 70 and then 60 kph. We crept along for ages this way, watching carefully was mandatory now. At this point, "The Road Not Taken" came to me. However, it turned out that Highway 22 was worse. It is our usual "back way" headed for Canmore. The road west of Calgary was fine to Canmore, and it looked like any Southern Ontario road at this time of year; white with salt residue. I went past my accommodation and wound up in an undeveloped part of Canmore. There and then I thought of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". And it came to me that the end of that poem was done for me. I turned around and drove carefully to my destination.
Later that night, God reminded me that He is always showing us the way; even when it seems strange to us. Judges 6 and 7 show us an example of this. 1 Kings 19 is another. Jesus knows this connection also. In John 11 he thanks God for bestowing the power of the Holy Spirit on him as a witness to many for what he is about to do. It was the same for me this week. God was getting me to slow down from my usual pace so that I could see and hear properly all the changes that are going on with the church. Just one of these is entering into a full communion and participation agreement with the Moravian Church. More on coming changes later.
Jesus promises us that we can do great and mighty things. (John 14:12) Sometimes those may seem small; moreover there may be great consequences to them. Not hitting a stopped semi or a rut that causes us to flip into the ditch may seem small or easy. Still, it is the willing hearts and souls of us as followers of Jesus that God wants to work with. It sure made me drive more carefully to Canmore. More road work lies ahead as we draw closer to Lent. Pr. Scott
