Wide Enough



“...This is the way thou must go.”

“B-b-but... it is so narrow.”

“It was cast up by the patriarchs, the prophets, Christ, and His apostles.”

“But... it is so narrow!!”

“It was wide enough for Christ.” 

“Truly?”

“Aye.”

“Then it be wide enough for me.” 

-------

I stop quoting the venerable Christian and Goodwill* and glance at Sean, walking up the  driveway next to me at the close of exercise. “That’s the spirit, huh, Sean?”

He smiles slow, the way he always does when he’s in thought and I mention anything to do with Jesus.

“That’s the spirit.”

-------

This way, this narrow way, that squeezes my self and is too tight for indulgence; that tells me to serve when I want to sit, to be silent when I want to speak my own words, to be still when I want to run ahead of my God; that has no room for unkindness, impurity, petulance, irritation, impatience, indifference; this is the way I must go. 

And it is the straight way - the way where everything good, true, and pure, everything loving and lovable, everything kind, generous, and noble, everything unselfish and loyal is to be found. It is where life more abundant resides. It is the road to heaven.  

But it is the narrow way. Too narrow for me - with all my self in tow - to fit. Here I cannot watch for myself first. Here I cannot stew over wrongs. Here I cannot love myself more than others. Here I cannot pursue my own glory. Here I must live the will of Another.


Here, the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, must be relinquished. 

Here, I must be relinquished. 

It is narrow.    

But it was wide enough for Christ... truly

Then it be wide enough for me.


*Pilgrim's Progress

Comments

  1. Amen! That's exactly what I needed this Sabbath... Thanks Tash!

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  2. Amen! I am so glad that Our Lord has paved the way for our salvation for us! If Jesus has done it, we can surely do it in HIS Strength!

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  3. Dear Tasha, for some reason I can nearly always tell when you are the one writing. :)
    .................
    To my shame I linger at the gate so often. Holding on to my self to wide to fit. Oh may I let go of all but Him.

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  4. You had me when I saw the first two lines on the side of Sean's blog, because I knew you were quoting from PP, and it's one of my favourite things..to listen to, to quote, to ponder.

    ...and I needed it. The post in it's entirety reverberated through my being, resonating with me right at this moment, with what I've been thinking this time in my life. Thank you for writing it, Tash - a call to fit through somewhere that really is too narrow for us..."with self in tow". I echo what Janae said.

    Lord, save me from my unbelief!

    Looking forward to seeing all of you soon!

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