Years ago when we lived near Hargis, Louisiana, there was a dirt road about a mile and a half from our home. The local folks called it the Coon Trail. No one seemed to know, remember, or care about the reason for it being called that name. One of the local residents of the area explained that the road went all the way from Mississippi to Texas across the state. Then with a smile, he said,” Its historical name was the Natchez Trace.” He discussed the route and where an old stage coach house was near Montgomery, Louisiana. I could imagine people traveling by horseback, ox pulled wagons, and stage coaches headed for Texas. It was history right under my nose.
But, then it was an old dirt road that required the police jury of that parish to plow it and care for it. They did so maybe once a year or two. There were ruts in it in certain places. The trees grew right up to the edge of the road. At times and in certain places the raw beauty was as evident as it was maybe a hundred years or more ago. People traveled that way with hope of a new future or sometimes trying to escape their past.
Jesus said, “I am the way (the road or path), the truth and the Life.” (John 14:6a). People have traveled this way for over 2000 years leading to eternal life. Were they desperate? Were they looking for a new life? Yes! And it was not Texas! Well, not at least so. Without Jesus even Texas is an empty place. In Texas or Arkansas, if you find Jesus, you have found what your life has been looking for: your true home.
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