By nature, some of us enjoy going where almost no one else goes, pushing our comfort zones to the limits. I would estimate that more than 90 percent of humanity is averse to change. As a result, most go with the current, follow the crowd, and are one more in the flock. But a few of us are different. I have Scottish blood from both parents, and sometimes I feel that urge to “be free,” to be the underdog who overcomes all odds.
I can identify with all of this as I like to walk the path least trodden and go off the beaten path. That is sometimes good and sometimes hard, and it is not purposeful – it just happens. When it does, it pushes so hard that I say, “never again.” Yet, I find myself once again on that road less traveled, discovering and entering places and cultures where neither I nor they are comfortable, as we are so different.
In all of this, I am convinced that God creates each of us with a special intent and purpose. I was made this way, and my life is a living picture to communicate a message that God wants to convey to all who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand. From Cappadocia to Tbilisi and beyond, I am overwhelmed by the history around me. These are places where archaeologists say humanity began, from the Paleolithic age to the possible regions where Adam and Eve were created. It is overwhelming to gaze at the ruins and imagine what they looked like thousands, of years ago. (Well, man is 6,000 years old – I have evidence for that in the authoritative word of God)
As I walk the Silk Road and go off the beaten path through ancient historical sites of Biblical times and dating back to creation, I see evidence that everything has changed. Tarsus used to be connected by a river to the ocean and was a port; Ephesus also used to be a port and no longer is. The seven cities of Revelation are now just ruins, where only our imagination can resurrect how life was back then.
So as my wife and I are on our 25th anniversary we stand in awe at the history and sights we are experiencing and see that nothing remains the same…..except for our Creator above.
