Sunday, August 30, 1998
Sunday, August 30, 1998
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few
who find it. (Matthew 7:14
NRSV)
General George Patton once told about a Chinese national young man who enlisted in the
American army in WWII. This fellow's unit was stationed in Louisiana. As luck would have it this
Chinese soldier got lost on one of the Maneuvers. Being unable to speak English he couldn't ask
where his outfit was located. He was stranded at a crossroads where he attempted to hitch a ride
with any army vehicle of any unit. The problem was he tried to use his index finger to hitch a ride
instead of motioning backward with his thumb.
You can guess what happened. An army convoy approached. The Chinese soldier pointed his
index finger down one of the roads at the crossroads. The driver of the first vehicle didn't stop
since he thought the soldier was directing traffic. When the convoy failed to stop, the young
Chinese soldier moved to another road and with the next convoy pointed down the new road.
According to Patton, in one afternoon, this soldier split army units so badly by pointing down one
road and then another that it took them over a week to locate all of the troops! Troops, trucks
and tanks were scattered all over Louisiana and Texas!
Some people spend their lives going first down one road and then another. They wander nowhere
in particular and then wonder why they never get anywhere. The most important road we need to
go down is the one that Christ is on. Then the rest of the pieces of our lives will fall into place.
Prayer: Loving God, keep me on the road that leads to your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA