The one less traveled by,

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

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.

-Robert Frost (1874–1963), Mountain Interval, 1920.

Dr. James E. Allman in his summer chapel sermon titled "Ministry Burnout" talk about the road that less travelled. As human's we tend to take the road which frequently traveled. This the road leading to doing things by our own strength and as we see best. Dr. Allman said, “Difference of religion of Man and the religion of living God is who carry whose. Are you serving with a purpose of establishing work of God or Are serving because of God is carrying you?” This question penetrated into my inner most being and woke me from my deep slumber.

While I was in Sri Lanka, I have being working hard and long. Many times got disappointed because I seek to establish the Kingdom of God by my efforts. I have being discourage by opposition, lack of finances, bad things happened to good parishioners, and death of beloved faithful and young fellow workers. I was tired of God’s work. Some times I felt I could not speak a word of encouragement. I hate to preach and reluctant share the word of God. I was so tired. I was so near to burnout; that is because, I missed the crucial point: “Who carry whose?” Do I carry God, his work, and his kingdom in my shoulders or do I dare trust God to carry me in his arms?

He concluded his sermon, “I don’t serve because God needs me. I serve because God has enabled me. I don't serve in order to establish the kingdom of God; I serve because God has established the His kingdom . . . but in the pathless travel when God carrying you; You snuggle into his arms when things are really tuff. Sometimes you cannot tell where the arms are but by faith you claim the idea of childhood, to womb to gray hairs I will carry you!”

Text: Isaiah 46:1-9