For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the movie, “The Wizard of Oz” (especially the music). Dorothy has one goal, which is to get back home. To do this, she must simply “follow the yellow brick road” to the great Emerald City, where she is certain to find the help she needs to achieve that goal.

From the outset, it appears to be a simple enough task…just follow the road. But soon she hits her first snag: a split in the road. Should she go this way or that way? Anyone familiar with the story knows that this is when she meets her first friend and future traveling companion, the empty-headed scarecrow. They choose a direction and continue on together.

As the journey rolls on down that road, the two eventually become four, and the group soon finds out that an evil force is doing everything possible to prevent Dorothy from getting to her destination. Sound familiar? In theory, our path in this life should be easy to follow and lead us straight back home to our Father…but it’s not that easy, is it?

We have our own yellow brick road in the form of the Word of God, and every guidance we need is in those pages. Still, we have a force always working against us, trying to confuse our path or convince us to try a different road. In the dark parts of our life, when we feel lost and surrounded by proverbial “lions and tigers and bears” (oh my!), we easily wander off course. We forget that we’ve been given everything we need to find our way home, and just as Dorothy had the good witch watching over her and helping her in times of great need, we are always under the watchful eye of our Heavenly Father.

He always gives us what we need…strength, guidance, peace, and people who will love us through even the most challenging and ugly times of our life. Don’t get lost in a sky full of clouds and rain. Keep your focus on God, and never lose sight of His love or the many ways He shows you that love. When He sends you gifts and blessings, love and support, don’t let them go easily. Our time here is limited and we want to do our best to stay on the path we’re meant to follow. Just as Dorothy learned when she finally made it to the end of her journey: she already had what she needed to get home before she ever set foot on that perilous journey. It was with her all the time…….