goodbye, yellow brick road.

I desperately want to follow Jesus, and that doesn't come without a rebuilding of my heart that is constantly craving sin. We are so pressured by the world to not only seek success and fame, but to follow the yellow brick road. The yellow brick road is clearly marked, safe and easy. As Christians we are asked to follow in Jesus' footsteps, which is made up of tempting deserts, tears of blood, and picking up our cross daily. Sometimes, the yellow brick road sounds a lot better. It seems to be a simpler way to live our life, well at least we think so. God revealed to me that The Wizard or Oz is completely related to todays society. First, we have Dorothy, Dorothy begins following the yellow brick road with the desire to go home. The scare crow then joins her, in hopes to receive a brain. Then the tin man, who wants a heart. Last, the lion who is seeking courage. The world around us wants four things, to go home, to have a brain, a heart and courage.

1. To go home. We all have a desire in our hearts, a longing, to be loved by our heavenly father and to live with him eternally.("In my fathers house there are many rooms. If it were not so would I have told you that I got to prepare a place for you?"-John 14:2)
2. A brain. We want wisdom, but what we sometimes forget, is we don't want the worlds wisdom we want the wisdom that comes from heaven. ("But wisdom that comes form heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."- James 3:17)
3. A heart. We want a heart that cares, and one that is satisfied with Jesus. ("Jesus said to him", I am the way the truth and the light. No one can come to the father except through me".- John 14:16)
4. Courage. We want to live a life that is not out of fear or obligation to follow God, but one that desires his will above all else. ( "For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power love and self control."- 2 Timothy 1:7)

The yellow brick road that the world creates to achieve these four things is not safe, its dangerous and it never leads home. The yellow brick road is not clearly marked, without a brain or Gods wisdom. The yellow brick road is not easy without the courage of Christ. The yellow brick road is painful without a heart aligned with Gods desires. On the other hand Jesus' footsteps walked through a dessert where the enemy tempted him for 40 days, yet he still endured and found satisfaction in the kingdom. The footsteps of Jesus lead to drops of blood that prayed so desperately to our father and ultimately ended in forgiveness for every sin when Jesus mounted that cross. The footsteps of Jesus force us to carry a cross that is so light, because he paid it all. The footsteps of Jesus are the way the truth in the life.

In my life His footsteps lead me back to Africa in 130 days, and then a University next semester. I'm scared, I'm really scare. I'm so comfortable following my yellow brick road that the world has designed. I don't want my relationships beyond my reach, I don't want to leave the nest, and I don't want to struggle on my own, but I want to follow the footsteps of Jesus. So, I'm going into the dessert where the enemy will be defeated, and I may cry tears of blood, and I will remember the cross, because every step I take is one closer to being with the one I adore.

Jesus,
Please lead me home. Give me wisdom that is pure, peace loving, considerate, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Instill in me a heart of compassion that is only satisfied with you. Provide me with courage and strength to surrender it all to follow in the steps to Jesus. You are worth everything. I'm crazy about you.

Love,

your admiring daughter