Matt 7:14 "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only
a few find it." NIV
We had just left Witless Bay in Southeastern Newfoundland, where we had had the
privilege of seeing a pair of humpback whales playing in the water from a
distance of about 10 feet; and where we had watched puffins and killiwakes,
razor auks and guillemots swimming, diving under water, soaring up over the
boat, and nesting on a nearby island. What a beautiful morning it had been! And
now, as we drove to Cape St. Mary's on the other side of the peninsula, we were
excited by the prospect of seeing more nesting seabirds-birds whose names we had
never even heard before!-at the St. Mary's Bird Sanctuary.
As we exited the Trans Canada Highway (TCH), however, there was a brief moment
of anxiety. We had been in Newfoundland long enough to know that though the TCH
was well cared for, the condition of the side roads was anybody's guess!
But route 100 seemed quite adequate. Though only two lanes wide, if anything, it
seemed to be nearly as well cared for as the TCH! And we began to relax.
Then we passed through Argentia. Argentia hosts one of the two Nova
Socia/Newfoundland ferry services; and, we were soon to realize, the road we had
just traveled was the main road from the ferry to St. Johns. Naturally it was
well cared for! But once we were passed the ferry dock, things changed!
Dramatically! In fact, it was as if a giant had thrown heavy boulders onto the
road and removed them! The potholes were as thick as flies, and much more
damaging to our van when we missed and landed in one! And to make matters worse,
it seemed that just past Argentia, all the clouds in the sky decided to layer
themselves over our road. We could barely see a few meters in front of the hood
of the van! This made it even more challenging to avoid the potholes-and
incidentally, moose!
Though I am sure my wife regretted her decision to drive this stretch of the
road, I, for one, was happy she had! But between jostling out of and around the
potholes, trying to search the fog for upcoming traffic, and sometimes, even
something as mundane as the middle-of-the-road markers, to say nothing of the
moose, is it any wonder that I didn't feel like taking a nap? In fact, at one
point, I questioned our sanity for going on. But knowing how my wife had been
looking forward to visiting this particular bird sanctuary for the past 18
months, I wasn't about to encourage her to turn around. And so I stared out into
the fog, which, by now, had the consistency of clam chowder, and wondered if we
would EVER arrive at Cape St. Mary's!
But since no road goes on forever, even foggy, "moosy", pothole strewn ones, we
finally arrived at the turn off. To our horror, we discovered that the road to
the conservation area was 17 kilometers long, and only wide enough for one car.
Were we surprised that there were no middle (or side!) of-the-road markers? To
make matters worse, the fog thickened even more, to the point that in places it
was impossible to see the road right in front of the nose of the van. Though we
tried to stay optimistic, the only positive thing we could think of on that road
was that we were thankful we had left our trailer in a campground in St. Johns!
If things could have possibly been made worse, Newfoundlanders seem very much at
home on their foggy, bumpy roads. What this would come to mean to us was this:
Upcoming cars don't slow down when passing cars on narrow, foggy roads! And
despite the fog, there seemed to be a steady stream of traffic coming from the
direction of the conservation area! We would later reflect on this section of
the road and marvel that we came through unscathed.
I guess that in the back of our minds, we were all thinking that we would leave
the fog behind at the bird sighting areas. But the fog didn't lift. In fact, it
thickened (if possible)! Though the rangers behind the desk seemed unconcerned
about the fog (Isn't it funny how sales people can be so positive when they are
trying to sell you something?), we weren't so optimistic. However, having come
all that way at the risk of our lives, we decided to purchase our tickets and
stumble our way down the 1.5 kilometre trail to the "invisible" cliffs!
Interesting to note, the interpretation center rented out raincoats and pants.
We wondered why, but didn't bother to ask, and we ventured out. It didn't take
us long for us to discover the reason behind the raincoat rentals! After just
two minutes of walking through the foggy murkiness, my glasses (to say nothing
of my clothing!) were dripping. Only not with sweat! Now, even if the fog were
to clear enough for me to see two meters in front of me, I would STILL be
totally blind! And of course, It was quite "reassuring" that signs were posted
every few meters warning about the height of the cliffs and the danger of
wandering off the path!
There was really only one thing I could do at this point, and it didn't take me
long to "humble" myself enough to do it: "Donovan, I need help!"
"Sure papa," he replied, slowing down so that I could reach him. "What?"
"Can you lead me down the path? I can't see anything, and I need to clean my
glasses!"
"Sure papa," came his cheerful reply.
And what a blessing this 11 year-old was! While I cleaned my glasses, he guided
me as well as he could-only to repeat the process every two minutes! I couldn't
help but think of the verse in Luke 6:39: "Can a blind man lead a blind man?"
NIV Can you blame me?
Our destination was a small, unfenced rock, overlooking an amazing sight: a hill
crowded with Northern Gannets. Even the fog couldn't keep us from admiring these
unusually beautiful seabirds. The end of the trip was definitely worth all that
we had been through to get there! (Of course, our return trip to St. Johns would
be another story!)
Isn't this whole experience just another example of how our world has become? We
live on a planet filled with the fog of sin. Potholes spring up on us unaware,
trying to lure us onto the path of destruction. Moose-size trials face us daily.
The road seems long and dangerous with no hope of that sin-filled fog ever
lifting. On our own, we are doomed to disastrous results. We are completely
blind and have no idea where the road we are on is taking us.
"Is there a way out of this? Is there anyone out there who could lead us out of
this mess?"
Those who were blind (physically and spiritually) in Jesus' day must have also
voiced the same question. Their question was answered by Someone who not only
lifted the fog, but also gave them their sight. Luke 7:21-22: "(Jesus) gave
sight to many who were blind." NIV
Jesus is the only answer, friends. He is the only One who can lift the mist of
sin and lead us to a path filled with hope and anticipation, a road leading to
the most amazing sight of all: the love God bestowed on us through His Son Jesus
Christ.
Are you tired of the fog of confusion and sin surrounding your existence? Come
to Jesus and ask for His help. His path is the only one that leads to the longed
for sunshine of eternal bliss. Can you imagine opening your eyes to the
unforgettable view of Jesus holding his arms out to you? Why wait? Contemplating
Jesus is worth any cost!
But if you choose to NOT choose Jesus, please watch out in your fog for all
those potholes and moose!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.