It’s a “rough” road …

For a while before turning a teenager, I had the chance to live on a huge ranch in Northern Arizona.

The Diamond Bar was a historic “old Arizona” ranch spreading across 896,000 acres. The ranch house was about 37 miles beyond the tiny town of Dolan Springs, where you would find a dirt road taking you the 7.5 miles to the house.

Directly in front of the house was a massive garden with some fruit tress, and beyond that stood “Crown Mountain” (actually named Spirit Mountain, pictured above). At least, that’s the name I gave to the small mountain that looked as if a crown had been placed around it’s top.

Getting to the top of the mountain was quite a trek that took in some beautiful country. The only way to get there was by traveling a rough road that was more a well-worn set of tracks than a dirt road. The tracks would alternate between dirt and rock, and wound it’s way through the rugged country. On the way, the road eventually ran alongside a barbed wire fence separating the ranch from the Hualapai Indian Reservation. At that point, you could look far off to the right and see a few ridges of the Grand Canyon.

As you continued the slow trek over the rocks and bumps, twists and turns of the road, you would often see cattle grazing openly, and occasionally spot wild horses that ran freely on the ranch. It wouldn’t be surprising to spot a fox on the journey, and you would almost always see several deer as you neared the top of the mountain.

When you finally reached the top, you arrived at the edge of the “crown” to take in an awe-inspiring view of Lake Mead, with the little town of Meadview just a speck on the land. Getting to this beautiful vantage point was slow going on a rough road through a beautiful land.

The journey to the top of Crown Mountain reminds me of how Jesus described the journey to life in Matthew 7:13-14, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Jesus describes the gateway to life as being narrow, and the road being difficult. We often wrongly interpret that as meaning the journey to life in Christ is harsh and negative. However, I think it’s more like that journey to the top of Crown Mountain: a rough road through a beautiful land. While you may have to travel slowly and carefully because of the terrain, there’s much beauty to be taken in and enjoyed along the journey.

In fact, the challenge of the terrain that slows you down helps you to be more focused on your surroundings. The slow going allows you to enjoy the experience rather than hustle along just to get to a destination.

The road to life is that way. Sometimes there are bumps and rocks and sharp turns, but the slow going provides for a journey that offers panoramic views of grace, mercy, love, and the many other facets of life in Christ.

It’s a very different path than the broad, smooth highway that provides a quick, uninterrupted trip to hell. But passing through the narrow gate and traveling on the more difficult road provides a vastly superior journey and destination.

Which road are you traveling? Are you enjoying the ride?

Scotty