Crossbyte contemplation #9. There are so many paths ... Little River Band

 

"Up the mountain, but the view from the top is still the same ..."

is the rest of that lyric. I consider myself compassionate and caring though many people who know me would say that is a weakness. People throw around the concepts of heaven and hell and toss people up or down depending on their judgments of them. I think a lot of people have relegated me to hell because of my beliefs. I don't really care what they believe and I could, but I won't, give a litany of all the things I've done which I think have benefitted people who have come to know me, who have attended the same churches as I, and who, I say this sadly, used to be my friends. I'm not going to do that because I don't believe that our heavenly rewards depend on what we have done. I think it depends on what God has done for us. However, I am not going to make this a religious argument because that is not my point. 

Mountains can be symbols for triumph, "I've been to the mountaintop" or they can be symbols for trial and tribulation. I firmly believe that there are many ways to the mountaintop. Some of them we do to and for ourselves and some, other people do to or for us. I guess my point is that my way of life -- my path to the mountaintop is not the same as yours -- and I don't necessarily want to use the same way as you because then I'm always following someone else's footsteps and not my own. I don't have to do things the way you do. I don't have to believe the way you do, and you are certainly not the one to judge whether my path is right or not.

I'm angry about a lot of things, and sometimes my anger is like a poison that destroys my view of the mountain and obscures my path so badly that I just get lost. Even now as I write this and think about people and comments I have read or heard, I feel that poisonous anger rise up. You know, I'm too old for this crap. 

I have strayed from my original intent to talk about how we all have our ways of life, but then I slipped into the "Why the hell do I let other people get to me when they try to tell me my way is not the right way, or my thoughts shouldn't be "Thunked," or my path will lead to hell?

Every single one of us walks a different way. 

You know. I don't think many people look forward to the fact that we all have the same view once we get to the mountaintop.  They're too busy trying to push people off the path.

Rant over.

p.s. Some of you may know that my new book, Drifting, has just come out. It is the sequel to Drowning but you can read it and enjoy it without having read the other one.

It's dark, but it's always darkest before the dawn. If anyone would want to buy it, you can click on the link below. If anyone has any questions or wants to discuss it, you can contact me.

Where you can get Drifting.

May your journey lead you to the peace and beauty of the mountaintop.