I Walk the line...

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line
--Johnny Cash

I feel like I tend to walk a very different road then people in my life that I encounter day in and day out. A road that I could have ever thought up on my own but that was chosen for me as the best thing for me.
We hear it said it certain Churches, "have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" As cliche as that line has become there is so much truth in it. That question most people freak out about. Why? Because they feel they are about to get bombarded with "Jesus Talk". Which there notion could very well be true! LOL BUt in reality it is a valid question that can be broken down to be a bit more understanding and could even stand to be more intimidating. In fact, saying, "have you accepted Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord and Savior" is putting it lightly.

When I think of that Question I think to my myself about what that is really saying. This is what I hear:
--Have you surrendered your will and life to God?
--Are you ready give up the things in your life that will lead you on the road to perdition?
--Have you learned to accept that life comes with ups and downs and that we need to accept downs as well as the ups as gifts that have so much fruit to give us?
--are you ready to embrace your cross, splinters and all so as to grow in greater love of Christ?
--Are you ready to be called to greater things and essentially "man up" when no one else will?
--are you ready to be persecuted for doing what is right?
--are you ready to truly say and live the words: He's God, I'm not
--Are you ready for the greater prize that does not exist on this Earth?
--Are you ready to live in eternity with the One who is eternity itself?
--are you ready to be loved like you never have been?

Then come to the waters of life--deny yourself and take up your cross!!
Now do you see why the first question is so much easier then the many that that first one really means.
Although something within people freaks out when they hear the name of Jesus--That name means responsibility to these people. They hear the name and just know that they are not ready to give up the self-willed life they have. They are not ready to be free from the pleasures of the sins that shackle them. They see a life with Christ as a form of slavery. I hear people say. you Catholics and all your rules. I hear that all the time. What I think is so interesting is the thought of the fact that it is my sin that keeps me shackled and a slave. It is my sin that keeps me ashamed and in fear. It is my slavery to sin that keeps me desiring a place on this earth.
It is my deep knowledge and embrace of Christ's love for me that frees me from fear. It is that love that died for me and that set me free from the dire consequence of sin--death! It is that Love that transforms me, day in and day out and guides me to truly be love to those who have never been loved.
There is no slavery in Christ, other then the slavery of me belonging completely to him and being at his eternal service. I don't necessarily call that slavery...I call that LOVE.

As I walk along this path to holiness, that is a gift, the world gets bigger, the road gets narrower and the people along the path are fewer and fewer. Why? Because this life is not easy...walking sometimes is not the problem, not even the falling down that is the hard part, the hard part is the continual stripping and transformation that happens along the road. That's the stuff that burns away who you are, to make you who are meant to become. That is what separates the men from the boys. That is day to day trials and growing in virtue that needs to take place. Oh man, this is the hard stuff....this is the stuff that if not rooted enough in God's love through a personal prayer life etc--will make you question what you are doing this all for...in some cases people leave. Of course they leave...when there is no relationship, there is no point!

I have my moments still...the "is it all worth it" moments...and it is...Its just hard to see when all the people you know who are not "living it right" so to speak, are getting everything handed to them, and I am not gonna lie, that can be frustrating when you know that the way they got it was shady, or that you know that you work hard to be the woman that God is calling you to be...but in the end..we have something that is far more reaching then this earth and this life. We know that we are loved. We don't need to spend our time reaching for perishable food. We know where to go to be fed, and we know who to go to to get fed.

Going back to what I had mentioned about the world getting bigger, but there are less people on it. That is quite a big struggle, people don't want to keep walking and so when you do say things to people they look at you like, "yeah I hear you, but I am not sure I understand." well how can you? When you are in love and you are in a relationship, how is anyone to understand what it is like unless they are on that walk too. And just because you are in a relationship does not mean you are in love either. There are many people who walk along this path to God who want nothing of the intimacy that He has to offer us. They just want the rules and what they need to do. Now think about it, if I am in a relationship like that with my friends, first of all it would be boring and second it would not last very long, because when the going got tough...I got the heck out!
I find that as I walk a long this path to holiness I will meet many people along the way who are attracted to me and want to hang out...but that actually get in the way of my moving forward.

As I walk this road, people come in and people come out. There are people who are attracted to the way you are walking, they are drawn to it and amazed by it--they just don't want to walk with you through it all. They are still way to big in there world and so the sacrifice is too great. There are the few and I say few, because it does not happen often, but there are the few who you find who just "get it". They are there to be your running buddies...they are there to cheer you on. They are there to remind you of why you are walking. They are there to support you and for you to support them. There is an equality in support because there is an equality in the goal sought. It is a beautiful gift when found. Until then the road to Our Lord is walked without many, but with He always at your side. Guiding you and urging you on. It is Love that does the urging, it is the gravity of the soul that stretches and molds us to keep moving. It is love a lone that matters. You've got a way to keep me on your side. You give me cause for love that I can't hide.