“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right
I hope you had the time of your life.”
– Lyric from Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (aka the last song played at the end of Seinfeld’s last episode…)
Yogi Berra is famously quoted as saying, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it!” Um, Yogi? Hello? But this lyric seems to direct us not to go left or right, but to go through. Not that Green Day and Rodney Atkins get compared that often, but consider Rodney’s take:
“If you’re going through Hell, Keep on going, don’t slow down
If you’re scared, don’t show it, You might get out before the devil even knows you’re there.”
So, the only comparison less likely is when we contrast Green Day, Rodney Atkins and The Bible. Here’s what James — Jesus’ brother — has to say on the topic of forks in the road:
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor’s crown, the life God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12, NIV)
Some days, we face forks stuck in the road. The developers hate the architects work, which, according to the architects, is flawlessly simple and elegant in its design. Finance gets mad at sales, while sales believes that finance is Latin for “sales prevention.” The client wants something that we know is bad for them and horrific for us, and yet the boss wants the deal inked — no excuses. In each example, we have a chance to make the best of the test. And, more often than not, the best path is forward, not asking why, not showing that we’re scared, simply persevering through the trial. The crown is waiting, and if we take the fork, we’ll miss it by taking the easy road.
A lesson learned in time, indeed. Something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right — when we work through the trials, we’ll look back and see that we’ve had the time of our lives.
Stay the course. See it through. Lead, and you might be surprised at how many people end up following you…
Editor’s Note: Yes, I am still the “Why? Guy!” Sometimes, however, it doesn’t serve us well to ask — it might be a lesson learned in time…
Leave a Reply