Which way?

When we’re driving west down Hwy 98 to turn left onto Gulf Shore Dr toward our condo in Destin, the traffic light at the corner almost always stops us. It’s one of those lights that seems to take for-ev-er to change to our green arrow.

However…there is The Pop Shortcut! I can turn left into the parking lot before reaching the light, maneuver behind the Chevron Food Mart, then left through the lot in front of Cappreccio’s Coffee Shop and exit onto Gulf Shore Drive near Bric a Brac, hopefully avoiding the long wait at the intersection. I must admit that sometimes I end up behind the car that was directly in front of me in the turning lane on Hwy 98…occasionally, if traffic is heavy, way behind.

When I approach that intersection with our grandchildren in the car and announce that I going to take my “shortcut”, Camryn and Colton will both sing out “ No, Pop. Don’t do it! It’s not a shortcut, it’ll take longer. Don’t do it Pop!”

I still usually end up doing it my way even though, more often than not, it does take longer. Been doing it for years.

The recent Superbowl featured a pregame clip of several players telling how they had reached this highlight of their careers by doing things their own way…all to the background music of Frank Sinatra singing his ever popular song My Way. I do like Frank’s voice, but listening closely to the words of that famous song made me cringe. I’m pretty sure that as I approach the end of my life, I don’t want to glorify the fact that I lived life “my way”.

In John 14:5 Thomas asked Jesus: “Lord, … How can we know the way?” And Jesus answered, “I am the way…

One thing I know for sure…on my own, “my way” doesn’t often match up with His way. My way is to plot against those who plot against me. His way is to love my enemies. My way is to accumulate money and stuff. His way is to not store up earthly treasure. My way is to worry about tonight, tomorrow, and next year. His way is to trust the Heavenly Father who can provide everything I need. When that guy in the white Mercedes bypasses the whole line of us waiting to make an exit and wants me to let him in, I say he’s a moron and want to deny him entry. His way is to go a second mile when someone asks me to go one. My way…return the blow. His … turn the other cheek.

If my way isn’t the right way to handle these everyday situations or to even make the turn from Hwy 98 onto Gulf Shore Drive, I certainly shouldn’t think it best to make life decisions and actions without His guidance. He is The Way. His way is The Way.

My career…my way or His way? What to do with my money…my way or His way? How to spend my time in retirement? How to honor my mother? How to respond to political issues? How to love my family? How to live out/speak about my faith in front of others? My way, or His way? Christ is The Way.

I hope that when the end is near and I reach that final curtain, I won’t have the regrets that will come if I just tried to do it my way. Sorry Frank, but no glory will come from doing things My Way.

We are in Destin this week. We’re probably going down to Grand Boulevard to eat tonight. When we come back, I think I’ll take Pop’s shortcut.

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