Following The Straight And Narrow Is Like Climbing The Ridge

We call this the ridge. It’s Danny even wrote me a song several years ago called Turkeys on the Ridge. And I’d rather watch the turkeys climb it than trek up myself.

I can do it, but it’s not easy. Between my asthma and my fibromyalgia, I have to stop two or three times on the way up so I don’t pass out and roll all the way back down the hill. That seems counterproductive. So it’s not a sprint, but a marathon when it comes to the ridge.

So why bother? The very best blackberry patch on the entire property is at the top of this hill. The thickest vines with the largest berries are up there, and for that reason I will make the climb. There’s good stuff up there, so I’m willing to put my body through a workout to get there.

Oh my goodness, how much easier it is to come back down. Gravity takes over and I’m back to the house in no time. Thank you, gravity!

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Everyone wants the good stuff, the berries at the top of the ridge, but few people want to expend the energy to climb the hill. Straight and narrow isn’t fun or exciting or simple, so it doesn’t hold enough allure for most people. Wide and broad and basically flat is easy - anyone can do that. But it takes someone focused and motivated to make it through the straight and narrow and steep. That’s how you know your heart is prepared for what’s waiting for you at the top.

We will probably have a few hills and mountains in our spiritual lives this week, times when we’re at the bottom looking up and wondering how we could ever make it all the way up. That is when we start climbing, rest when we need to and ask God for His help and protection as we take one step after another. The temptation might be to turn around and get back to that flat ground, but then we’ll never get to enjoy the fruits of our labor. God promises that those berries at the top - the spiritual blessings and rewards for our dedication - are totally worth the effort.

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