I AM: The Way

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to Jesus, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way…” (John 14:3-6)

My family went on a hike this past Sunday afternoon to Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve. We had never been and were seeking to find a viable outing in an otherwise quarantining community. We were excited to read online that the Preserve opened the day before to the public following previous closure for COVID-19.

Being new to California and unfamiliar with the landscape, we were awestruck by the rolling hills and golden grasses we saw as we drove into a parking spot. It looks very different from the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina with its dense green forests. In the Preserve, there were grazing cows and views for over fifty miles in every direction. There were trails of dirt paths that winded their way through the waist-high swaying grass and spartan rock outcroppings.

Often I take the responsibility of studying the trail map before we begin hiking. This time, distracted by the captivating view of San Jose in the distance, my husband studied the path instead. Yet after we began walking, I felt anxious realizing I did not know where the path led, what our destination was, and how long it would take to get there. I didn’t have my cell phone pictures to refer to for where the next twist in the trail would be and where we would encounter the largest elevation gain (in other words where the trail would be the hardest!). I want to anticipate the trail and be ready for the next part. I had to tell myself and Nathan aloud, more than once, “OK, I’m just going to follow the path and trust where it leads us.” Nathan, quite confident there was nothing troublesome ahead, just laughed and kept walking. A few times I scurried around the bend ahead of the kids just to be sure of what awaited us: downhill, uphill, more people, or maybe a snake?

Isn’t my desire for the known how we want life to be? We want life to be a journey with a sure and confident road leading us directly to our ultimate safe destination. We want to be prepared. We want to know what to expect. If it’s going to be hard, then we want to have the mental capacity and preparation to make the journey. We want to know what obstacles are coming and how long it will take us to pass them successfully.

And yet this is not how life works.

Reading a simple map of basic trails would not have shown me everything we were to encounter at the Preserve. I still was going to have to put one foot ahead of another and trust the path would lead us to the chartered destination. I still was going to have to experience the trail for myself. Sometimes, I realized, I don’t need to know how long it will take to enjoy the journey.

We do not have a map for our life. We cannot see around every corner. There will be surprises. If you are like me, where you are today is in some ways nothing you had imagined ten years ago - or even one year ago. So how will we prepare for the unknown? By following Jesus. We are confident that Jesus not only knows the way. Jesus is the Way.

In the Gospel of John, the evangelist offers us reassuring words. Jesus goes ahead to prepare for us a room in God’s house. We often read these comforting words at funerals. They remind us that our beloved one is with God and that we can join them there.

These are also words of solace for us in our present life. We can walk the path each day, wherever it might lead, because we follow Jesus. Jesus will guide us if we trust him. We must listen and pray. We must read our Bibles, participate in worship, and act in ways of loving service. Each of these actions will guide us on our path.

I read a quote this week by Martin Luther King Jr. that echoes this exact sentiment: “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” King’s words are an amazing testimony to his Christian faith. King followed Jesus and trusted Jesus to not only show him the way, but to be the Way. We don’t have to know how the path will proceed; we simply and profoundly must take the first step in Jesus.

May we likewise trust in Jesus. May we trust that wherever life takes us, Jesus is with us on the road. With trust, may take a step today in following Jesus the Way.

Photo by The Mercury News