Growing up in Wisconsin, I walked to school everyday. The trip was about a mile and half, not far enough to be bused to school. I walked in rain, below zero temperatures, and several inches of snow. And yes, there were some hills involved too. The only thing that made the 7:00 a.m. walk bearable was doing it with my friends and taking shortcuts to make it faster. We were always cutting through yards and parks and parking lots to make our way shorter. Being in Pittsburgh now, I find that I don't use shortcuts much anymore. I get lost too easily, so I stick to my tried and true paths, that one way that I know to get somewhere, even if it's not the fastest.
I am learning that there aren't shortcuts for the really important journeys. I can't have a good marriage or strong friendships or connectedness with my kids, by doing the minimum. There's not a shortcut to get where I want to be with them. Nor is there a shortcut to gaining maturity in my faith. I started off the year doing some fasting (a spiritual practice being practiced by someone very unspiritual). I thought it would be a good way to set my focus on God for the year and get my priorities in shape. I did some reading to prepare, and everyone had glowing reports of their mountain top experiences with the Lord and how they had never felt closer to God. For me? Not so much.
It was a good experience and God did use it to mature me, but it wasn't all this holy wonder that I was hoping for. However, I know that I did not spend enough time with God, as though the fasting would somehow make up for it. In the end, here's what I discoverd...there's no shortcut to spirtual maturity. I can't fast my way to a shorter path. Jesus said, "if anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me," Luke 9:23. There is a dailyness to our journey. An everyday waking up and setting God up first in my life. An everyday decision to do the pick and shovel work.
Jesus didn't take any shortcuts either. He didn't skip the annoying birth and growing up experiences of youth, by just appearing here one day as a man. He didn't skip that whole 40 days of fasting and temptation. He didn't skip the years of teaching and miracles and tiredness and hunger. He didn't bypass the cross by taking the shortcuts that satan offered Him. Jesus knew what I'm attempting to know: there are no shortcuts... just joy for the journey.
