There are several reasons "Bradford Road" is the title of this little journal.
1.) I like analogies. I think its appropriate to think of life as a road or a journey- one that is not always easy. You will run into hard times and trials, but when you think of it as a Road, then it is something you have to walk through, and it won't always be so arduous.
2.) Thankfully, we don't have to walk this Road alone. One of the songs in my wedding slide show {5 years ago-wow} was "At the beginning" by Donna Lewis. I love the lyrics, even though they are all sorts of cheesy:
And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I’ll be there when the world stops turning
I’ll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I’ll be there when the world stops turning
I’ll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
I knew 8 years ago, that marrying my best friend was going to be an adventure. Our lives are now woven together; we are on this journey together, for better or worse, we walk together {and we picked up a couple of littles along the way}.
3.) As believers in Jesus, we have the God of all creation walking with us. No matter where the Road leads or what we have to walk through, He will never leave us or forsake us.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deut. 31:6
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He leads us and guides us in His truth (Ps.25:4-5), His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths (Ps.119:105), He directs our paths (Prov. 3:5-6), and He has made know to us the path of life (Ps. 16:11). I know that I do not want to walk through life without Him, and I am unspeakably grateful that God, in His grace, reached down and provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself.
4.) The fourth and final reason this little blog is called Bradford Road is because the only reason that we have life is because of the Road that Jesus walked for our sakes.
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Down the Vía Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary
He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death
Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me.
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary
He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death
Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me.
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.
The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men
Made it's way through the heart of Jerusalem.
Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Vía Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.
Made it's way through the heart of Jerusalem.
Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Vía Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary.
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Jesus CHOSE to walk that Road, to endure the horrific suffering, the brutal beatings, and ultimately a henous death upon the Cross- for my sake. THEREFORE- I choose to be a "lover of the Cross" as Thomas A'Kempis wrote in The Imitation of Christ. Our walk with the Lord is a continual and constant battle with the self. Jesus said in Luke 9:23,
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow me."
I want to be a faithful disciple of the One who laid down His life for me, a sinner. I want to be a lover of the Cross. I want to daily deny myself and take up my cross, and walk down this Road with my Savior by my side.
"Why, then, do you fear to take up the Cross, which is the road to the Kingdom? In the Cross is salvation; in the cross is life; in the Cross is protection against our enemies; in the Cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind; in the Cross is joy of spirit; in the Cross is excellence of virtue, in the Cross is perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross. Take up your Cross, therefore, and follow Jesus..."
-Thomas A'Kempis
"On the Royal Road of the Holy Cross"
Imitation of Christ
