The Backroads

“Jesus took a back road…” is one of the most relatable parts of the Bible I have ever read. 

In John 7 , Jesus’s brothers are encouraging Him to reveal Himself as the Messiah. The Bible says that they “advise Him” : 

“Why don’t you leave the countryside villages and go to Judea where the crowds are, so that your followers can see your miracles? 4 No one can see what you’re doing here in the backwoods of Galilee. How do you expect to be successful and famous if you do all these things in secret? Now is your time—go to Jerusalem, come out of hiding, and show the world who you are!” (John 7:3-4 TPT)

A very relatable and on point picture of social media, right!? 

Why would you do something in secret when you can do it ONLINE! Show the world how cute you are, how talented you are. Show them what Disney character you are! A dance challenge!? Somebody film me, quick!

But some things just aren’t for showing everybody . (Much like we are teaching our 4 yr old right now. I digress.) 

In the midst of all this “advice” from Jesus’ brothers, He doesn’t say, “Uh, yah! You’re right! Get me a blog domain cause I’m about to go global.” 

No, He says just the opposite. 

“You can go ahead and celebrate the feast without me—my appointed time has not yet come.” Jesus lingered in Galilee until his brothers had left for the feast in Jerusalem. Then later, Jesus took a back road and went into Jerusalem in secret. (John 7:8-10 TPT)

I’m challenged by His response . Why on earth would you want to give up the applaud of the crowd, the attention, the recognition of your awesomeness and instead go away, alone, intentionally choosing a lonely path , knowing full well that it ultimately ends in death? Yikes. Go, Jesus. Once again you are better than me.

Although not taken intentionally, if I could choose a metaphor for the last 6 years of our life, I think the passage above sums it up well. A backroad. Taken in secret.  

Thanks to the internet there are many aspects of our journey that are not quite a secret. Like every child’s birthday, if I have a head cold or not, pictures of sushi, when my husband does the moonwalk, etc. And yet, there are so many things that feel so back road-y. 

Like when you dream wild dreams about your ambitions and career (and they were NOT nursing school and child education), and suddenly life tells you that you will instead be a full time caregiver. 

Or when you finally get the kids to bed but have the harsh reality that your night is just getting started due to seizures, vomiting or ailments that can’t be vocalized.

Not to mention the 6,838 things that keep you up at night because they are things no parent should have to think about. 

Will my child outgrow me, and if she does will I still be able to carry her and be her legs?  Or, while other parents are dreaming about their child’s highschool graduation or ballet performance I am wondering, will I outlive my child? Will I have to walk my other kids through grief while I am dealing with it on my own? Will I get to explain how God has done a miracle, or will I have to teach how sometimes miracles are what we see in heaven? Or how we try to enjoy and savor every moment but are always silently wondering if this bout of seizures will be THE bout that sends us back to the hospital, taking my child’s personality, abilities, connection, and maybe one day her life. 

Silent thoughts. Lonely thoughts. Backroad thoughts. 

But when I read that Jesus was on a backroad, it makes me wonder if there was a reason why. 

Here’s what I know about literal backroads: 

They are beautiful. They are untouched by mankind’s “brilliant” ideas of how they should look. They are not manicured, and they can be a little wild, but that’s why we like them. They have a beauty not found on the highway. 

They are quiet. There is time to think and dream on a backroad. Less traffic means less of a need to stay hyperaware. Your mind can go to some gnarly, deep places on the backroads, but it can also see things that no one else gets to see and dream things that you would have otherwise never had time to dream. 

They take longer. But they are usually intentionally taken, and always worth it. Because it’s longer, it’s usually lonelier. And sometimes you wish it would just be over already. But it’s always richer than the quick way, even if not many people can take it with you.

I know that Jesus chose the backroad on purpose. He wasn’t forced on to it by some horrible life tragedy. He most likely just needed to escape people, to get a moment of refreshing silence, and most likely to communicate with God without the noise of the crowds. 

But I like to think that Jesus took the backroad because He knew that somewhere along the way, someone like me would be walking on it, feeling like no one else had ever taken that way before.

It is not always outright beautiful. Sometimes it’s harsh and it almost feels cruel. But I figure, if Jesus chose a backroad, then it can’t be an entirely bad place to be. So we will think the deep thoughts, but enjoy the beauty that only these kind of journeys can bring, and know that He’s walking there too, even if it takes longer than we thought.