May The Road Rise Up To Meet You

May The Road Rise Up To Meet You
 
My hand slightly gave way to gravity as my grandmother released the ring into the palm. It was a very large ring. I brought my hand to eye level as I observed the unique object. Its gold exterior sparkled in the light; a large mystic topaz stone was encased within an octagon shape bordered by elaborately engraved silver. Two silver celtic knots were also engraved on each side; two white topaz stones centered perfectly in the middle of each knot.

To be honest, I didn’t really like it. It was gigantic and a bit gaudy; but, ‘it was from grandma’; you know? And you’re probably wondering why I would go into such great detail about a ring I didn’t even like, but it's what was engraved on the inside of the ring that caught my attention. At first I didn’t see it, and then I could barely read it. I had to bring it up to the light just right. I began to spin the ring slowly in my hand as I read aloud to my grandmother, “may the road rise up to meet you”. I paused for a moment as the words settled like a sheet gracefully falling back into its rightful place on the mattress. I probably didn’t actually ‘shrug my shoulders’, but after a brief pause, confusion ensued, and I decided it was a mystery I would solve later.
“Thanks for the ring, Ma.”
 
THE ROAD (MSG)
14 1-4 “Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

5 Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

8 Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”

9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.”

1.5 years later…

I would see that ring every now and again and hold it up to the light wondering what it could mean, only to tuck it back away and forget it for a while. Fast forward almost two years later since I got that ring from my grandmother; I’m still in awe at how Jesus can use a seemingly insignificant moment to reveal such a deep revelation in my heart. I too, like the disciples wondered, “The road? What road? How can a road rise to meet me?” Like the disciples, I too was confused and I just couldn’t understand at the time. It wasn’t the right time yet. Jesus responds quite simply in John 14:6 (MSG),  “I am The Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me.” Other versions write, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Jesus has always been calling me, guiding me. He’s there even when I don’t acknowledge Him in all my ways; navigating the many roads life offers. He is the Road rising up to meet me. He is making rooms for you and me. He is the way, the truth and the life. As long as I follow Him, I am on the right road; the only road, the only way.

Upon a little research I discovered the ring my grandmother found was a mystic topaz men’s ring labeled ‘the legend of ireland’. Apparently, the engraved writing is a popular Irish blessing that can be used as a prayer or song. Just a common ring, with a common saying that anyone could have found and I’m sure they would’ve concocted an entirely different conclusion than my own. But, after reading John chapter 14 almost two years later, I know why that ring found itself in the palm of my hand that day. How my hand rose up to meet my eyes as I read the words that I truly believe Jesus was speaking to my very soul:
 
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.