Hey everyone!

Welcome back to Character in Crisis! Today’s audio clip has been filled with questions and answers. Our young hero has learned many lessons in the school of humility, and today he will be faced with the most difficult decision of his life.

Often we will find ourselves presented with a test. Sometimes we can make quick decisions. No, I will not drink that. Yes, I will wear sneakers to the hike this afternoon. No, I will not laugh at that joke. Yes, I will listen to my parent’s advice, etc…

Yet sometimes our decisions are not so easy. Will I marry this person? Should I become friends with this person? Is this movie okay for me to watch? How far is too far…? How we answer these questions will ultimately determine the trajectory of our lives.

Hugh stands before a beautiful young duchess who offers him all the comforts of palace life. Pillowy soft beds, luscious, rich food, and companionship with the lovely lady herself. How can he refuse?

As a matter of fact, he doesn’t refuse! At least, not at first. When Hugh returns to Dame Martha, he comes with the full intention of accompanying the little lady to the castle. Yet, the wise words, a man of understanding listens to wise counsel rings in his ears. With a question on the tip of his tongue, he steps forward to aid Dame Martha in the simple task of reaching for flowers on an upper shelf. It is through this act of service that he realizes where his responsibility lies.

Now, before we continue, I want to talk about something very important. To go with the duchess to the castle was not a bad decision. Neither was the decision to stay in the village with Dame Martha. What is important to focus on is that Hugh was faced with a crossroads in his life, and this decision would shape his character for the rest of his life.

Understandably, his decision was not an easy one.

Often in life, we are presented with crossroad decisions. Both paths can sometimes be emotionally charged and filled with the unknown. The famous poet Robert Frost once wrote about this momentous occasion in a poem titled, The Road Not Taken.

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

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.

While there is some controversy as to the meaning of this poem, the words always stirred something up inside me. You can sense the journey, the possibility, the unknown. I was inspired to slow down and examine the path; to take the road less traveled. There are several choices before me. Which road do I choose? Jesus said:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” ~ Matthew 7:13

For while the world would beckon us to listen to our desires and follow our unmet longings, something quiet and gentle bids us to die to self and travel along the narrow way. Though the road less traveled is often fraught with the fearful unknown, acts of faith and fellowship with other like travelers allow us to experience unparalleled love that makes the quest worth any cost.

As we hold our desires with open hands, we can be confident that God will indeed give us the desires of our hearts as we delight in him (Psalm 37). This idea of delight is especially endearing to me. It carries the idea of being rolled out like gold leaf. The more pressed, the more useable and the more delicately precious.

For Hugh, the opportunity to pursue a career in the castle enticed the deepest desires of his heart. He grew up in the palace and surely knew of its lavish benefits. Yet as Dame Martha struggles even to reach for flowers on a high shelf, the young man feels the warm sting of conviction. When everything inside him pulled him towards the path of success, freedom, and comfort, he turned aside and took the path less traveled.

When Dame Martha questions Hugh about his decision, he says simply, “I have no duchess but you.”

Even the young duchess is touched by Hugh’s act of selflessness. Such an act is unfathomable to her who knew no suffering. She had never stepped her delicate foot upon the uncomfortable path of servitude. Yet Hugh’s decision touched her in a way she’d never been touched before, and gave her much to think about as she traveled back to the palace.

For Hugh, the peace that filled his heart and infused him with joy gave a gentle confirmation that he had made the right choice, for the road less traveled is not without its rewards. It is challenging and convicting, joyful and sweet; filled with possibility, hope, and a bright future. For,

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. ~Proverbs 10:22

Thanks for reading. I hope the truths that we’re learning soak into your heart as they have mine. I’m so excited to be journeying through this with you!

Till next time,

Molly Mayo

Writer/editor and long-time enthusiast of Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince

P.S. Here are some Lamplighter favorites on Responsibility:

Basil, or Honesty and Industry (Ages 6-11)

King Jack (ages 6-11)

White Knights (Ages 9-14)

Shipwrecked audio drama (Ages 12+)

Drawn Together Under Fire (Ages 12+)

Struck by Lightning (ages 6-14)