One of my favorite memories is of spelunking with Dad and Uncle Ben in a cave in Tennessee when I was a teenager. As I remember, the cave was set in the middle of the field. There was this large crater in the ground, with a path leading down into it.
When you got to the bottom, the only way into the cave was through a small tunnel in the rock. The tunnel was just large enough for a man to crawl through on his belly. About half-way through, the tunnel turned sharply to the left, before entering the cave.
I remember pushing my backpack ahead of me as I squirmed forward. I’m a little claustrophobic and I could feel the walls closing in on me. When I got to the turn I felt a moment of panic, certain I was going to get stuck as I navigated the corner. After taking a couple deep breaths I was able to press on. Moments later I dropped out of the tunnel into the cave itself.
What I saw took my breath away! I was in a huge cavern with massive stalactites and stalagmites and multi-colored rock formations. It was incredible! I was so glad I hadn’t given up when I was crawling through that narrow tunnel. If I had I would have missed out on the beauty of that amazing cave.
Jesus warned “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NIV). It goes against our human nature to take the narrow way, to do the difficult thing, but we miss out on so much when we choose the broad road, the easy path.
Being a Christian can be uncomfortable, unpopular, and just plain hard, but in the end it will be worth it all. When we finally walk through that narrow gate that leads to the tree of life, all the difficulties and hardships we’ve faced along the way will seem like nothing, as we behold the wonders of Heaven.
If you’re going through a tight place in your life, not sure you can turn the corner that lies ahead, don’t despair. You are not alone. Jesus has already gone before you. Keep your eyes on Him and He will lead you safely through that narrow way to your glorious new home. So, don’t give up. Press on! You’re almost there!