I take the subway to go to the office and to go home during rush hour. Most of the time, the train is jampacked with people. I have to push myself in and if I can’t hold on to anything, try to balance myself so I don’t fall while the train is moving. It’s not an enjoyable experience and I wish there was a more comfortable way to travel.
One time, I was on my way home after a particularly busy day in the office. A half-empty train pulled into the station. “Wow”, I said to myself, “This must be my lucky day!” I got in, sat down and promptly fell asleep. A few stations past, I woke up and heard unfamiliar station names being announced. It was then I realized that I had taken the wrong train. No wonder it wasn’t full as usual! So, I was forced to turn back and I got home later than normal.
It’s tempting to take the easy way out of any situation. We go by the route that will cause us the least discomfort and inconvenience. But that route may not always lead us to the correct destination.
The easier path is not always the better path. Sometimes, we just need to accept the twists and turns, trials and difficulties in life because they will make us stronger, wiser and better persons in the end.
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)
