Crossroads

I ain't got no time to be discussin' no deals with the devil.

For most a'y'all this post is gonna be a bit cryptic, and if you ain't got the gift of understandin', mayhap it ain't nuthin' meant for you. Take it for what it is an' offer it up for those that might be comin' to the same place in differ'nt times.

Maybe this jus' a written version o' th' Blues. An' lemme tell you, folks, no one get outta this life wit'out playin' the blues.

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Long ago, I watched the movie "Crossroads", about old Willie Brown and his young potege'. This weekend it was my great pleasure to watch it again, this time with new eyes; the eyes, the ears, the soul the comes from not pretendin', but livin', the blues.

There are many messages in this movie, and the main theme that drives it belongs to Blues Legend "Blind Willie", the man what sold 'his sorry soul to the devil. Along comes Eugene, naive blues enthusiast, lookin' to seek his way by ridin' the coattails of the greatest legend still alive.

Even though Ol' Willie signed his soul away for his fame, he took his lumps along the way and knew that the music was created from within and anyone who wanted to play the blues had to earn his keep, had the walk the line, talk the talk...and live the notes.  It wasn't something that could be learned or even given; the Blues and all that went with it wasn't about mere talent, but spoke of the trials of life.

That's what the movie's about. I won't offer any spoilers as there are those who perhaps haven't had the gumption to see it for themselves.  I leave it to them, and to y'all to draw your own conclusions, but for myself, I find it to be no mistake that I am in possession of this movie on this particular weekend.

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Recently, on the same day, in fact, I  happened upon such a crossroads in a way I did not expect. My discernment is no secret; rather, it is the subject and impetus of my entire blog. Now that I'm done with school and am looking at the wide-open highway (sorta), I have been praying hard for direction. Where do I go? What do I do? Do I wait here, or do I choose a direction and follow it?

Just after praying, "God, what do you want me to do?" I received a couple emails.

One was from a friend asking for theological help as she struggles, as all students of theology do, with new concepts, faithfulness and the general overwhelm-ness all graduate students recognize. She recalled that I had my Master's degree and said, "Can you please help me????"

The other was more at random, from a person I've never heard of, touting himself as head of  somethin', touting hisself as havin' been done REFERRED to me by a trusted friend, wantin' me to open an ol' wooden door with rusty hinges jus' so he can ask a few questions for his commercial benefit.

Never mind the fact that some chapters have closed on my life: I was the one who slammed the door, and have only spoken o' some things as a caution to others.

I speak of them no more. I have been absolved, and those things are in the past. At one point, the devil tried to make a deal with me, and I walked away. That's all I'm willing to say these days.

I will NOT turn my back on God ever again.

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The devil comes to us when we are most vulnerable, and instead of making a direct attack, he most often seeks to get us to enter into dialogue.

Out of "niceness" we often want to engage in the dialogue. Maybe it's in the form of a random Bible Salesman down yonder who knocks us silly with his wares and robs us blind. Maybe it's in the form of a boyfriend who promises marriage, takes what he wants, and conveniently forgets about the ring and eternal life.  Maybe it's in the form of an email seeking "to talk" but the big red flags around the entire thing tell you that you know better and it's best to use the "delete" button.

The problem with sitting at a crossroads is that anything might come along. When you get there, as you will, you need to know what's important, you need to know your ultimate goal or direction or you might wind up havin' a pow-wow with the devil tryin' to get you to sell him somethin' you don' even realize you have, in exchange for some earthly thing even the devil can't poss'bly possess.

All o' us are out there, lookin' for success, lookin' for somethin' to define us. We all start out like fool-headed cusses, only tempered by the lumps we earn through sufferin' every step.

This weekend, I made my decision; answer the devil or answer to God. I take ALL that I have and I give it to God.  I ain't got no time for some joker wantin' anything else from me.  I been down that road, and Jesus already played those Blues and done tore up that contract I tried to make out o' my stupid fool ignorance so long ago.

I ain't lookin' back.  If you want somethin' else from me, don't bother ta' come knockin',  There ain't nobody home.  Buh-bye now and don't come back or you be meetin' the wrong end of my good friend Smith & Wesson, playing bass to my other good friend Winchester.

There ain't really no such thing as a Crossroads; the crossroads is life, and none o' us get outta here without takin' our lumps and singin' the blues. Don't ever let nobody be tellin' you different.

And don't EVER be enterin' into conv'sation wi' da devil; he got nuthin' you be needin and you can sing the Blues and da Praises o' God jus' fine without 'im.
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