Family of God Lutheran Church     ELCA

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

This well know excerpt of a poem by Robert Frost seems to have a clear meaning at first glance. So it is interpreted, the one path less worn is chosen, and it was the right choice for whatever reason. I have read this over the years, but one time interpreted it a different way:  We assume the road less travelled was the best choice—but what if it wasn’t? What if the events which followed after taking that path did not turn out well, and in “ages hence” the author will be telling this “with a sigh” that the choice that was made led to hard and difficult things. I have paddled canoes through the Boundary Waters and there are different choices to make on how to travel--a different lake, a different day, a different portage—and sometimes we don’t know if the choice was better, but only that the one we took did not turn out so well. This is why this has been such an admired poem—it speaks to the common 

human experience of making decisions, sometimes with not too much knowledge, and we will never know if it was the best or even right choice.

I was watching an NFL game the other night and the star of the game was being interviewed. The answers to the questions that were posed were the typical variety: “First I give thanks to God because without God this victory would not have been possible.” Which poses interesting questions since the team that won the game will not even reach the playoffs. Does that mean the player is thanking God for a meaningless victory in a forgettable season? Or what about this answer: “I know God has a plan and we have been fortunate enough to be a part of it.” Again, is it God’s plant that they have a mediocre season—and what does that say about the best teams in the league; does God choose the Super Bowl champion, or does it even matter to God?

Somehow or another we have learned that God has a plan for our life, like a road chosen in spite of experiences to the contrary. I think such a testimony is made as an expression of trust in God’s will.

Soon after college I was asked to be a youth director in a church when the former youth director had just tragically been killed. It was a complement to be asked. But I struggled with the question, wondering if God wanted me to take this position. I felt feelings of loss and guilt and confusion. So I went to my pastor and asked him what I should do and he told me that sometimes we have this idea that God has one way for us to go and the other way is wrong or contrary to God’s will. Instead he told me, what if God tells us you choose the path you feel is best and I will go with you and bless you either way?

I had never thought of it that way. Instead of a right or wrong answer, perhaps either answer was fine by God. What a wonderful answer—how freeing it was. It freed me from the guilt of turning the offer down (it just didn’t feel right), and I didn’t second guess myself. 

What is God’s will? Luther says in his Small Catechism the Will of God is that God hinders and defeats every evil scheme of the devil which and opposes the coming of his kingdom. And God’s will is that God strengthens our faith and keeps us firmly in His word. That’s it. Oh Jesus talks about choosing the narrow road and avoiding the wide road that leads to destruction. But Jesus is talking about temptation and leading godly lives—not making individual choices about careers or family or relocations. 

As we enter 2026 we pray for godly wisdom in our lives, but most of all thank God for Jesus, who walks with us on either path and will never leave us.