Highway to Heaven

My daughter just returned from a 2 week mission trip to Africa with my husband. After a few days of recovery from jet lag we ventured out to run some errands. It was a glorious day filled with sunny skys and so we decided to ride with the top down on the convertible. We were tooling down the road,wind in our hair on what I thought was a smooth and lovely ride. But then my daughter said with emotion in her voice," I miss the bumpy roads of Africa."
God is calling us all to walk a certain road and we will not be happy unless we go where He calls. Something happened in my daughter's heart when she walked the "bumpy" road that God called her to walk. That road became a Highway to Heaven for her. It brought her such joy and she is changed forever.
Her school tells her she should walk a certain road to get into college,her friends tell her she should walk a certain road to be popular,her doctor tells her she should walk a certain road to be healthy and on and on it goes. Jesus simply tells her,"Follow me!" If you know the road you are on is leading you to heaven it will not matter what it is made of,how narrow the path or whether it is smooth or filled with potholes. The journey may be long and hard but just ahead of you is the One who Loved you first leading you to joy unspeakable.
I have just finished a wonderful book called,Adventure Yourself by Tommy Barnett. The sub-title is,Discover the thrill and excitement of serving God.
In chapter 12 he tells the story of David Livingstone. He was a missionary in Africa in 1840. When he and his brother John were boys they shared with each other their life dreams. John shared that he wanted to grow up to be rich and famous. David shared that his goal was to" follow Christ to the fullest."
David left Great Britain as a young man and died in Africa doing what he loved,sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with tribes of indigenous people. One small tribe loved him so much that they did not want the family to retrieve his body and take him back to Great Britain for burial. Finally,one of the tribesman ripped open Livingstone's chest and cut out his heart and proclaimed,"His heart belongs to us." And so,his body is at rest in Westminister Abbey beside many of the greatest people in world history. By his grave lies a sign that reads:"David Livingstone's body is here ,but his heart is in Africa." Remember his brother John who desired to be rich and famous. He did become rich and famous as he walked the road that the world called him to walk. On his tombstone the marker reads: Here lies the brother of David Livingstone."
So many people who are walking the Highway to Heaven will never be famous on earth like David Livingstone. But they will be famous when they reach their destination. The Bible tells us that we are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses". They are cheering us on,encouraging us to take the path that may not always look appealing or even safe.
My prayer for you is simple: May you take time to look at the road you are on. Ask God if this is the path He wants you on. May you follow Him wherever He leads.
dedelang