If you ask anyone on the street: “where are you heading to?” Different people will reply with various answers. If we were asked this, apart from answering the question with a detailed address, are we certain about the direction that our lives are heading to?
A hectic morning
A recent experience provoked my thinking about this question. Two weeks ago, I made an appointment with the visa center at 10:00 am one morning to have my documents submitted. According to the email, I should be there on time. Otherwise, I need to make another appointment.
I checked on the map and arrived the main building 15 minutes earlier, thinking that I would arrive on time anyway. However, the door that I was told to get in was locked due to covid restriction. Instead, I was asked to enter through another gate which was about five-minute walking distance. It was only ten minutes left when I found the correct entrance.
I asked the guard about the direction of the visa center as the building looks complex. He told me to walk straight and take an escalator to the second floor, and then I would see it in the third floor. I followed the instruction and took the escalator to the second floor, assuming that I needed to take another escalator to the third floor to reach the final destination. However, I didn’t see any escalator that could carry me to the third floor.
Direction prevails hard work
There were only five minutes left and I kept asking different people for the escalator. I was running around in the building like a headless chicken for almost 15 minutes. My mind went blank and I was getting more and more restless as the appointed time was missed.
Thankfully, the staff in the information desk told me the right way and I reached the visa center at last. The entrance turned out to be the spot that I passed by several times that morning, and the way to the third floor was through staircases rather than escalator. I arrived there at 10:08am and the staff agreed to check my documents.
I laughed at myself bitterly on my way back for such a frantic morning. I couldn’t help thinking how ridiculous I was in running between wrong directions, no matter how hard I seemed to try to find the right way. All the sweat and efforts were in vain for they wouldn’t take me any closer to the right location.
Jesus is the way
Thank God that I was given another opportunity although I missed the time! If it is essential to find a right direction for a physical address, how much more important when it comes to the final destination of our lives?
Jesus says that “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (St. John chapter 14, verse 6). With all the things that we want to achieve in life, do we make it the aim to be with the Father? And to get there through Jesus? If not, we may be fighting for the wrong goal and walking on the opposite path, no matter how strenuously are we striving for the right way.
The gate that leads to destruction is easy and wide, while the gate that leads to life is narrow and hard. As a Christian, I am thankful and blessed to know Jesus, who assured me that I am walking on the right path and the reward to come is great! If you didn’t know Jesus and wonder where your life is heading to now, I would like to recommend you to find a local church or read the Bible to unlock the truth that brings you home.
Cindy Cheng was born and brought up in central China. Cindy enjoys travelling and reading history books. Cindy is inspired by talking with local people when travelling abroad experiencing different parts of the world, as well as herself.
Cindy’s previous articles may be found at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/cindy-cheng.html