Life Lesson #01

I am beginning my blog by taking a few days and sharing some of the lessons I have learned and documented. This will take a few days, one lesson at a time.

Don’t take shortcuts in the quest to know God, they take too long.

Leaving a family reunion when I was about 15 I wasn’t looking forward to the 6 hour drive across New Mexico to home. The reason it was six hours is that there was no road across Northern New Mexico at the time. But shoot, that didn’t stop my dad from attempting to cross the road less country. After all it was a shortcut. Actually, the problem wasn’t so much a lack of roads, but the lack of a bridge across the Rio Grande which in that part of New Mexico flows at the bottom of a mini grand canyon.

One road we took ended in a mud puddle. We had to back track. The one bridge Dad had heard about, at Ojo Calliente, turned out to be out. We had to back track.

I don’t remember the conversation between Mom and Dad at the time, it must have been mostly under their breath, but I do remember the griping and complaining coming from the back seat where four boys were getting mighty tired of this shortcut. We had to back track.

Finally, after 8 hours in the car, for this 6 hour trip, we arrived. No, not at our destination, but back at the origination. Yes 8 hours totally back tracked. I believe that may hold a record for family vacation shortcuts.

I have discovered that trying to take shortcuts in my spiritual life are just as unfulfilling as that family vacation shortcut. Time with God is the only way to the spiritual life. That means I spend time reading and studying God’s word, the Bible. I need to spend time in prayer and meditation. I have to spend time in worship. Singing, writing, just generally praising God.

When I neglect to spend time with God and try to take shortcuts, I discover that I lose the Spiritual vitality that I desire and my spiritual road ends in a mudhole.