“The Curvy and Narrow Path”

Road Sign Wisdom

As a toddler, I had no idea a road sign could communicate so much wisdom.

Since birth I’ve loved signs. Seatbelt standards were different when I was two or three years old, so on car trips I stood in the front seat between my parents. Mom and Dad couldn’t coax me to sit, much less fall sleep against my mother. I needed to stand to see the signs.

Especially the “snake” sign.

Growing up on the coast, I only saw the yellow sign with black double curves when we visited grandparents in the mountains. While my older brother slept in the back seat, I bounced and pointed and jabbered at the snake signs marking our way.

Today an 8-inch by 8-inch replica of this sign hangs on the wall by my computer. The image of black double curves pointing upward proclaims a powerful message.

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Three Points But No Poem

1.  The arrow at the top points to heaven, a reminder to keep my eyes on God.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2, NIV).

2. The double curves mean the road through God’s kingdom on earth isn’t easy. The world’s default option is to take the path of least resistance, not the path of greatest reward.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14, NIV).

3.  Life normally follows a snake-shaped path instead of a straight line. Surprising twists and turns take us places we don’t want to go or never dreamed we’d go.

Sometimes God orchestrates a sideways curve in our life. The Lord uses a detour to prepare us for a new opportunity we’ll encounter later. God takes us into the wilderness to work in us so we’ll be ready when the time comes.

Sometimes we veer off the straight path due to bad choices. For example, we may continue to ignore a nagging pain because we think we’re too busy to stop and deal with it. However, an emergency surgery could sideline us far longer than if we’d sought medical attention when the treatment would've been less invasive and much cheaper.

Sometimes we knock ourselves off course through sin. We deliberately disobey God’s holy standards and are sent into a spiritual “time out.” God may deal with our rebellion by marching us off to the side for a season to work on us.

No matter how often or how far we might stray off course, God is always ready, willing, and able to steer us in the right direction: the direction of right. When we humbly repent, God will set our feet on the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3) again. Our journey will continue forward in Christ. 

Other Lessons?

With Good Friday and Easter less than a month away, now is a good time to evaluate the path we’re on. Are we headed the right way? Do we need God's help to make a course correction?

I wonder what other lessons this sign might teach us. What else comes to mind? 

David