“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost
Did you know that Robert Frost wrote this poem, The Road Not Taken, as a joke? Seriously, he wrote it to tease his dear friend, Edward Thomas, who was his walking partner. Thomas was a bit indecisive and suffered from anxiety and regret whenever he was faced with a fork in the road. He couldn’t take both and remain one person.
Thomas didn’t find it to be funny at all, and most popular audiences don’t either, but for different reason. Because, in his humor, Frost has touched on something actually deep and true. Life is filled with inconsequential moments that seemingly lead to vastly different outcomes. And yet, do they really?
If you read the whole poem, you can see Frost’s own evaluation of the two, seemingly identical paths. One looks slightly greener. He writes,
… just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
One of the roads seemed to call out to him. In the poem, he chooses the second, greener path. The one that looked less traveled upon. And he tells himself that someday he’ll go back and take the other…but then concludes
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
As we’ve begun our study of the Psalms of Ascent, I am reminded just how much life feels like a journey. It is filled with choices and decisions, sometimes inconsequential and sometimes monumental. Sometimes we can’t even tell the difference. We are navigating through so much uncertainty. All we have is enough illumination for the next step or two. Beyond that, the road is dark and difficult to predict.
There is a bit of despair in Frost’s tone. A weariness maybe. He is a bit impatient with Thomas, but also somewhat skeptical of his own decision-making ability.
What I love about the Psalms we’re studying is that they wrestle with these same realities. The path is unfamiliar, the decisions difficult to predict, the consequences often feel very real and at times, menacing. And yet we find ourselves thrust into the midst of a journey, in over our heads, crying out for help.
Where does our help come from? This is a powerful moment. From beyond all of this. From the creator. From the author. Our way is known, beginning to end, and we are not alone. We are being helped. We are being sheltered. We have a shepherd.
Tonight, at Deeper Walk, we’ll be revisiting Psalm 120, and getting a sneak peek at 121. These are beautiful reflections of the journey, on the way forward, and on the path of ascent. I sure hope you can join us at 7 pm. Here’s the Zoom link…
https://zoom.us/j/652073534?
Meeting ID: 652 073 534
Password: 424026
And this Sunday we’ll be taking a larger look at Psalm 121. Where does my help come from? This is the question we all find ourselves asking. The answer…it comes from our Maker. Amen to that!
I sure love you guys! Hang in there. Be a light to your neighbors. Dwell in God’s hope and peace. Remember that He makes all things new!
Jeff